


A strange discovery

by T_h_e_W_a_t_c_h_e_r



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bisexual Disaster Sokka (Avatar), Brain gremlin - Freeform, First Fic be nice, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Character, Pansexual Aang (Avatar), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Respect katara please, Slow Burn, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), We respect her in this house, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), a lil angst, a little bit of zukka bc i cant help it, bi katara, nonbinary aang, the slowest burn, unpacking trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 37,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25099528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_h_e_W_a_t_c_h_e_r/pseuds/T_h_e_W_a_t_c_h_e_r
Summary: The gaang are thrown in jail with zuko, then proceed to adopt him.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1232
Kudos: 3031
Collections: A:tla, Fics that I want to read once they are complete, avatar tingz





	1. Dismal Beginnings

The soldiers that had accompanied Zhao to the Fire Temple dragged the children along the sweltering hallways. A tall man resplendent in red dragged along Sokka by his wolf tail at the head of the line, ignoring the yelling and repeated escape attempts by his captive. Following along slightly more sedately was a stockier woman escorting katara, who was silently brainstorming ways out of their current situation. And at the very end of the line was a pale boy with a large burn scar being led in chains by another soldier with furious orange eyes. He wasn’t making any attempts to escape, he simply shuffled along with a look like terror mixed with helpless fury on his face. Zuko.  
“And I’m telling you stupid Fire Nation jerks, all of you can eat Momo’s shit!” Sokka was still yelling at the top of his lungs. His escort deigned to make a comment.  
“Silence.”  
“That’s all you gotta say, huh? Just goes to prove my point,” he replied, attempting to stomp on his captor’s foot as they started down a darker hallway that seemed to go underground, sloping at a dangerous angle. Sokka miscalculated and tripped over the man’s legs.  
“Shut up Sokka! I’m trying to think,” Katara snapped. The heat was getting to all of them, especially her. Waterbenders weren’t meant to be traipsing around in the heart of a volcano, she thought furiously. Her home was the icebergs and glaciers of the southern water tribe.  


They turned another corner, and they were plunged into complete darkness. There was a quiet rustle, and then their surroundings were illuminated by a quiet orange glow. An orb of slow-turning fire bobbed over their heads. Suddenly visible were several important things: Two braziers set opposite each other in a cramped room at the end of the corridor, one small cell in the corner of the room, and the palpable relief on the face of Sokka’s captor.  
With a crackling noise, the braziers came to life, flames flickering within the metal containers. All three children were thrown into the cell, and the gate shut with an ominous clanging noise. They were issued a warning.  
“You will stay there, and you will behave yourselves. Failure to comply will be met with consequences.” The faceless uniforms stalked back down the hallway, leaving them alone.  


Sokka and Katara immediately scooched as far away from Zuko as the limited space would allow, and shot him twin glares.  
“Katara, got any plans?”  
“Not yet. But Aang will help us, I’m sure of it.” The waterbender glanced uneasily at the brooding teenager sitting at the opposite corner of the cell. Fog drifted from the corners of his mouth when he exhaled, in much the same way breath became visible during winter in the South Pole.  
“Well, what do we do in the meantime? What if he doesn’t come? We have to figure something out,” Sokka whispered urgently. Katara tore her gaze away from Zuko, who was now blowing the fog (the smoke?) in small ringlets that spiraled around his face before dissipating into nothing.  
“Look, I don’t know. If I was an earthbender, I could tunnel us out. But I’m not. I don’t actually know how to get out of here. Maybe if I was a firebender, I could melt the bars or something. But I’m not,” she explained, waving her hands around. Then she stopped, realizing the magnitude of what she had just said. But before she could say anything more, a raspy voice interjected from the corner.  
“I can’t melt the bars. My hands are tied behind my back,” Zuko said. It was true. Sokka and Katara’s handcuffs had been removed once they’d been imprisoned, but evidently Zuko was considered to be too much of a threat. His hands were tied firmly to the bars.  
“We didn’t ask you,” Katara retorted angrily. “There’s no way we’re going to get you out of those handcuffs, either. My brother and I would rather not die today, thank you very much.” Zuko huffed in response and turned away.  


Something had been bothering Sokka for a long time though, and he decided to ask about it. The more information he had, the better, he figured. Reluctantly he turned around to face his (enemy?) cellmate.  
“Hey jerkface. You’re supposed to be the Fire Nation prince, yeah?” He received no reply, but forged on. “So, since you’re supposedly so high and mighty, why did Zhao imprison you along with us?” Zuko didn’t turn around, but there was a flush rising on the back of his neck. Just as Sokka had given up on the taciturn prince, however, he received an irritable reply.  
“I was banished. I followed you into Fire Nation Waters. Punishment is death.” Zuko’s tone made it clear that he thought Sokka was an idiot for not knowing this already.  
Banished, huh? The warrior made wary eye contact with his sister, who was frowning. She mouthed something to him, but it wasn’t clear what she meant. Giving up, she addressed the back of the sulking firebender.  
“Well then, you’re a real idiot if you think your dad will give you the death penalty. I’m surprised you were even banished. If you did something so bad your own father banished you, you must be the most horrible human being to have walked the earth.” Katara took a bit of water out of her pouch and manipulated it in the air, staring at it like it would give her an answer to the resolute metal question that stood immovably around them. Zuko whipped around, his eyes flashing.  
“I’m not an idiot!” The fire in the braziers leapt higher with his yell, and the sudden bright light flashed dangerously in the small room. Katara’s water splashed to the ground. “I don’t know what sort of fathers you have, but my position isn’t going to protect me. I’m going to die,” he said heatedly. His voice cracked on the last sentence. He turned his back to them again. Sokka snorted.  
“Yeah, Katara, I think this guy is delusional,” he whispered to her. Then he raised his voice again. “You have nothing to worry about. No dad in the world would kill his own son. My sister and I are the ones who have to worry.” His voice was laden with authentic Water Tribe scorn.  
“How’d you get banished, anyway?” Katara asked, morbid curiosity getting the better of her. Zuko’s neck turned red again.  
“None of your business.”  
“Oh, I think it is our business,” she replied, a dangerous edge creeping into her voice. “I think we have every right to know if the person we are sharing a cell with did something so disgusting they were rejected by their own family.” Zuko turned around and shot her a glare, but his gaze faltered when he saw the look on her face and the shining water playing around her unbound fingers.  


“I didn’t fight the Agni Kai,” he muttered. It was almost inaudible.  
“Agni what-now?” Sokka leaned forward.  
“Firebender duel.” His voice betrayed annoyance, but his face was twisted in shame.  
“A duel? Who against?” Despite himself, the warrior was getting interested.  
“My father.” Zuko said, almost casually. A stuttering, nervous laugh erupted from the lips of the other boy.  
“You’re kidding, right?” Silence was his answer. He traded a horrified look with katara, who frowned.  
“Why?” Katara asked. It was a moment before a reply came.  
“I just couldn’t fight him. He was my father. I exhibited shameful weakness-” Sokka cut him off.  
“She’s not asking why you didn’t duel your father, for kuruk’s sake. She’s asking why you were challenged to a motherfucking fire duel with your dad!”  
“Why are you two peasants asking so many questions?” he roared. The room lit up again, and his manacles jingled as he stood up and began pacing. Dust rolled up in little clouds around his feet.  


Ping! He paused. A tiny ice spike had flown right past his nose and struck one of the metal bars. Katara stared at him meaningfully. He sat down again, this time facing them fully. He kept a careful eye on the water floating above her hands.  
“Look, I don’t know why you care. But I spoke out of turn and showed great disrespect for the firelord. He challenged me to an agni kai. It was his every right. I have shown even more disrespect this time by trespassing in his waters, and for this I shall be executed. Does this satisfy your endless curiosity?” he said with venom.  
“Holy shit,” Sokka asserted, looking at the boy with a new kind of emotion. Katara’s tone shifted just a little bit. Before it had been biting and accusatory, but now her voice sounded uncertain.  
“Zuko, I mean… He’s still your father. No father would ever… Cause any harm to come to their child. I think perhaps you’re overreacting?” Katara glanced at the bright red mark on the prince’s face, and an awful suspicion surfaced, unbidden. Sokka’s train of thought seemed to be going in a similar direction, because he asked another question.  
“Uh. What exactly happened in the- the fire duel?” he queried, his voice about three octaves higher than it usually was.  
“Don’t patronize me! Don’t act like you can’t see the answer on my face! Leave me alone!” His voice rose to a shriek and he stood up again, yanking at the manacles furiously. Embers flew furiously through the room as the flames lighting up the stone room flared again. When this inevitably failed to work, he sat down again on the cold stone.  
Katara laid a hand on his shoulder, quietly signaling for him to shut his damn mouth. He obeyed, simply watching the firebender sag on the floor. They sat in silent horror for a few minutes, pretending not to see the way Zuko’s shoulders shook and his face twisted up.


	2. Burned Out

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Zuko finally spoke.  
“Apologies for my outburst.” His voice was measured, and it echoed eerily off of the stone walls. His back was turned to them once more. It was odd, hearing an apology from the man- rather, from the boy, who had hunted them down for so long. It didn’t sound sincere, but it did not seem like he was mocking them either. It simply sounded practiced and automatic. Sokka cleared his throat.  
“Yeah, uh yeah, that’s uh… right,” he replied, in a voice that belied his feigned nonchalance. Zuko didn’t react. Katara shifted uneasily where she was sitting.  
“Hey, Sokka. I have an idea,” she said, putting on a falsely cheery tone. “I’ll try and use water to wear away at the bars. That might work.”  
“Yeah, if we had a decade to spare,” he replied. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. “Katara, there’s only one way of getting out of here and you know it.”  
“There is no way in a million years it’s worth the risk, Sokka,” she muttered in response. “He’s dangerous.”  
“So are Fire Nation gallows.”  
“I can hear you two, you know that, right?” There was a beat in which no one did anything. Then, slowly, the siblings turned to face Zuko, who was now facing them and wearing an expression of supreme annoyance. Katara stared him dead in the eyes and made her water hover again. His expression stiffened up once more.  
“I want you to answer my questions, firebender.” She spat out the last word like it hurt her to speak it. His face was studiously blank.  
“And if I do not, you will kill me?” He asked the question as if he already knew the answer and was merely stating facts. Katara blanched.  
“Kill you? I mean, I- Ow!” Sokka had nudged her in the side. “Uh, yes. Definitely.” She shot a glare at her brother and then put on her most menacing face, aiming it at Zuko. Her efforts were wasted. He was staring at his feet which were crossed in a meditative pose in front of him, his ponytail dangling over his face.  
“Fine. What do you want to know?” His voice was just toeing the line of actively hostile, but Sokka was surprised by how much he liked the sound of it. Kind of raspy.  
“I want to know why you were chasing us in the first place.” Katara hesitated, but decided to end the question there. Zuko inhaled. He still didn’t look up.  
“After the Agni Kai, my father told me I was banished. Unless I could find the avatar and bring him home. Only then would he welcome me back as his son,” he replied brusquely. They waited for him to elaborate but he did not.  
“The avatar hasn’t been seen in a hundred years,” Katara informed him. Needlessly. Everyone knew that. The only response she received was a shrug.  
“Your dad knew that.” Sokka was growing more horrified by the minute.  
“But he sent you anyway.” She finished his sentence for him. Zuko said nothing. Katara bent the water back into her pouch. She didn’t have the stomach to threaten him anymore.  
“What else do you want to know?” Zuko had finally looked up. His ponytail fell on his right shoulder and his gaze lay on the water pouch at Katara’s side. Katara cleared her throat.  
“So, just to be clear, it was never personal. You never wanted to… hurt us?”  
“I had no reason to,” he replied simply. Sokka gazed at him. The expression on the boy’s face wasn’t one of malice or hatred. The two made eye contact and the younger one quickly glanced away.  
“How old are you?” he found himself asking. Zuko frowned.  
“Why does that matter?”  
“I don’t… know.” Sokka frowned as well. Why did it matter?  
“16.”  
“Wow. You’re barely older than I am…” he trailed off, his gaze falling back on the scar. It was hard to make out in the dim firelight. For all it’s bright color and horrid appearance, Sokka had had enough experience to know that while it may have been bad, that scar was old. At least two years old, possibly more. A lurch of nausea overtook him for a second.  
“Holy shit. Holy… I hate your dad.” He blurted out the last bit without really thinking. Wow. Tactful. The other boy’s semi-relaxed demeanor immediately snapped back to a hostile glare.  
“Of course you would. You’re a Water Tribe peasant,” Zuko spat. Nice going. Katara sighed.  
“I’m not gonna ask you any more questions. I think my brother and I have learned enough. Right now, we have a common interest, which is getting out of here.” She stood up and gestured at his manacles, but it was evidently too little too late. His expression hardened into a scowl.  
“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m helping you two escape.” He curled in and around himself like a petulant child.  
“You have got to be kidding me Zuko,” Sokka said. He started at the sound of his name and looked up. “We’re all gonna die unless we work together. Stop acting like a baby and maybe we can get those manacles off.”  
“Now wait, hold on, brother mine. I think Zuko here ought to make a promise before we let him go. Swear that you will not hunt us down anymore,” Katara interrupted. The firebender immediately started to shut down again, but her brother corrected her.  
“Katara, you know he won’t promise that, and it’s hard to blame him. He’s not our biggest threat right now, Zhao is, and if we don’t get out of here quickly, we won’t get out at all.” She sighed and gestured at Zuko to stand. He did so, albeit reluctantly, and turned so that his handcuffs were in easy reach.  
She gripped the manacles tightly and closed her eyes. Frost started to creep along the metal, and Zuko shivered. Sokka found himself watching the other boy react to the cold with a bit too much interest. Either sadistic joy at seeing his tormentor suffer, or something that he couldn’t quite place.  
“Sokka!”  
“Huh?” He snapped to attention.  
“The metal is a bit more brittle. See the weak point here? Hit it with your club, as hard as you can.” Katara motioned towards a narrow point in between two metal joints. Obligingly, he raised his club and slammed it down as hard as he could.  
“Ow!” Zuko yelped.  
“Uh, sorry.”  
A few minutes later, Zuko had the use of his hands. Sokka and Katara watched intently as he reached out and gripped the thick metal bars of the cage they were in. There was a hissing sound as the metal started to glow first red, then yellow, then white.  
“Stand back,” he said harshly. With a yell, he kicked at the softened metal. It bent a little bit, and he kicked again. And again. The heat was growing steadily more unbearable.  
“That should do it. Cool down the metal with your bending so we can get out of here without being burned,” he commanded. There was now a significant warp in the metal, enough to allow them through, but the bars were still boiling hot. Katara took her water and wrapped it around, causing thick puffs of steam to fill the air. Sokka was finding it quite difficult to breathe at this point.  
“Let’s go,” he said sharply, and ducked out of the cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter, same day??? What?? Yeah. Quarantine. Anyway, I put some more of that sweet sweet Zukka in there. Oh and btw, I am going to get rid of Zuko's awful season 1 ponytail asap, because that is noT a good look for our boy. All that aside, I am really happy so many people liked the first chapter. Your comments and kudos have been VERY happily received. <3\. A goal tentatively set for 5 chapters, but I might write more depending on how hyperfixated I get on this. Did anyone get the pun/song reference of this chapter title? I'm actually quite proud of it. The song burned out is by dodie clark and will make you cry. Mini ramble-rant over, It's 1:30 in the morning so I will sleep now <3


	3. I am burnt out, I smell of smoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally get out of that dreary temple. And aang meets zuko!!!

The three of them sprinted down the twisting hallways. After a few minutes both of the Water Tribe siblings were drenched in sweat, but Zuko seemed entirely unaffected by the oppressive heat. They rounded a corner and came to an abrupt halt. Two guards were lounging against the walls, holding a casual conversation. A trickle of magma dripped from the ceiling where they were standing, but the taller of the two casually waved his fingers and the flow stopped. The two men quickly turned at the sound of footsteps.

“What business?” He waved his fingers once more and the magma dislodged itself, coming to rest in a spinning circle over his outstretched palm, glowing brighter and fading away in time with his breath. The children raised their hands in a gesture of parley. It was Zuko who spoke first.  
“We mean no harm. Let us pass.” The guard squinted at him before a wash of realization flooded over his wrinkled features. 

“Lee! They’re the prisoners!” The shorter guard shifted into a fighting stance and lifted his spear, while his partner stretched his hands out, elongating the magma into what looked like a whip. Zuko sighed. In a blur of movement, he kicked at the spear, snapping it in two, and punched the other man in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Sokka gaped. He knew that the boy was a formidable enemy, but this was frankly ridiculous. He let out a war cry and charged forward with his club (his trusty boomerang wouldn’t be of much use in these cramped halls). With a resounding thwack, he hit the non-bender over the head with it, and watched in satisfaction as he crumpled to the floor. For some unfathomable reason, he glanced over at Zuko, who had taken care of the man with the magma and was now looking at him with something like respect. He grinned and gave himself a mental pat on the back. Water Tribe, baby!

“Come on, we gotta go!” Katara was halfway up the hallway by now. He sprinted after her, struggling to catch up. By this point, the paths they were taking were all definitively uphill, and while that was a good sign, it also meant that they were moving a bit slower, with more effort. Sokka found himself falling into line with Zuko, as they both struggled to catch up with the flash of blue darting ahead of them.   
“I have an idea,” he panted. The firebender glanced in his direction.  
“What?”  
“Right now we all have a common interest, which is getting Aang out of here. We work together to get him out of the temple and away from Zhao.” Zuko nodded sharply.  
“You do realize that I don’t want to save the avatar, I just want to capture him. Right?” Sokka winced at the reminder.  
“Well yeah, but that bit can be figured out later.”  
“Fine.” They kept running. They heard a yell up ahead. Presumably, Katara had found the exit. The two boys exchanged glances and ran faster. Faster and faster. Thud. Sokka looked up. They had sprinted straight into the chests of two burly guards. A third was standing off to the side, and had Katara in a death grip.   
“Shit.” He barely had time to say anything before being wrapped up and held tightly. 

They were taken to the main room of the fire temple. Zhao was sitting there, and didn’t seem all that surprised to see them. 

“Where’s Aang?” Katara’s attempt to sound menacing was rendered somewhat useless by the fact that she was currently restrained by someone twice her size. Zhao merely chuckled.  
“He’s still, ah, communing with Roku. Don’t get your hopes up. I have a squadron of twenty men ready as soon as he leaves the room.” Katara visibly wilted. This was bad. The commander directed his smug gaze towards the prince.  
“It seems our little traitor has banded together with two Water Tribe children. I think the Firelord will find this news quite interesting, don’t you agree?” Zuko made no reply, save to bare his teeth. They were interrupted by the sound of a rumble from above. Zhao glanced up and his brow furrowed slightly. He made a move to stand up, but paused. Sokka felt the stirrings of hope in his chest.   
“Investigate that noise plea-” He was cut off by another rumble, this one twice as loud as the first. This time he did stand up fully, and made to speak again, but an awful shrieking noise ripped through the air right as he opened his mouth. Several loud thuds shook the ground. Emboldened by- whatever was going on- Sokka let out a war cry that was unfortunately drowned out by the cacophony coming from above. He stomped on the foot of the man that was holding him, broke out of his grasp, and smacked him in the face with his club. When he staggered back, clutching his nose, Sokka took out his boomerang and threw it at Katara’s guard. By this point, Zhao had ceased paying attention to them. He was too busy yelling orders at various intervals that went entirely ignored, as the walls were now caving in.   
“It’s gotta be Aang! Come on guys!” The kids broke out of their restraints, Katara with a well-placed ice spike and Zuko with a furious kick. The men fell back, and ran out of the collapsing temple.   
“Those guys have the right idea,” Sokka yelled, and ran outside as well. 

From a safe distance, they watched the temple crumple, magma pouring down the sides. Soldiers fled the building and hurriedly boarded the ship that Zhao had arrived on. The fire sages stood helplessly, but were directed to a smaller boat by an officer presumably sent by Zhao. They boarded it. Zuko exhaled furiously.   
“That’s mine and Uncle’s boat!” His protest fell on deaf ears; the siblings were anxiously watching the temple for signs of their friend. Finally they saw a dust cloud rising. A boy was running quickly- airbender quick- in their general direction. Sokka stood up and waved him over.  
“Aang! Aang, get over here!” Katara shushed him and pulled him down. There were still Fire Nation troops in the general vicinity, after all. Aang changed course abruptly, and within seconds was standing in front of them. He slumped over, panting.  
“Hey- hey guys.”  
“You had us worried, Aang!” Katara scolded him in a fond sort of way. It was then, of course, that he spotted Zuko.   
“Woah!” He half-shifted into a defensive stance, but paused when he took in the situation fully. Zuko was sitting down, and he was with Sokka and Katara. He smiled hesitantly.  
“Uhh, what’s going on?”   
“I’ll explain in a minute. Aang, how did you take down twenty men by yourself?” Katara seemed somewhat unwilling to acknowledge the presence of the lanky firebender.  
“Oh, I didn’t do that. Avatar Roku kinda possessed me. But that’s beside the point. Is Zuko our friend now?”   
“No!” Zuko yelled. Aang looked even more confused at this. Sokka kind of wanted to ask more about the whole ‘Roku possessed me and presumably collapsed the entire temple’ thing, but it was pretty clear that the Zuko situation was more pressing.   
“Look, I’ll explain on our way to Appa,” he said. He turned. “Oh, by the way, Appa is the name of our flying bison. I’m guessing you don’t want to stay stuck on this island forever.” Zuko let out a miserable sort of grunt. He could only guess what was going through the poor guy’s head. Branded a traitor and now forced to travel with the boy he needed to capture. Sokka felt a bit of sympathy for his plight. He extended a hand, but the other boy scowled and got up from the ground without his help. He shrugged.  
“Fine. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel bad for what I'm putting Zuko through... But then again I kinda don't. Muahahaha. Anyway, this is definitely shaping up to be rather more than 5 chapters. I feel I ought to clarify: I am literally improvising this, there is no set plot or any kind of plan. I just write. That is why I do not know any more than you guys do about how long this fic will be, or where the plot will progress from here on out. Zukka stuff kind of got put on hold because of the action-heavy chapter, but bear with me. Thanks for the kudos but especially thanks for the comments, they mean a lot!! <3


	4. Azula always lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst and a haircut.

As they made their way to the end of the island where Appa was waiting for them, Sokka quietly explained the situation to Aang, who grew steadily more and more horrified.   
“No wonder he’s been chasing us all this time! He just wants his dad to love him,” Aang concluded sadly. “Hey, maybe if I voluntarily go back-”

“Aang, listen to yourself! It’s great that you want to help him and all, but we have no idea what fire nation prisons look like or if you’ll be able to break out of one once you’re put inside. And considering how awful his dad seems to be, do you really think it’s in Zuko’s best interest to let him go back??” He considered this for a minute, gave a sharp nod, and then skipped ahead to where Zuko was watching. He gave the older teen a bright smile. 

“Hi Mr. Prince Zuko! Do you want to be our friend?” Zuko stopped dead in his tracks, looking incredulous. Sokka had to stifle a giggle.   
“Are you out of your mind, Avatar? I’m trying to capture you!”   
“Well, yeah, usually, but not right now,” he replied, conjuring up an air scooter and hovering beside the prince, who was now staring openly.  
“Look, I’m traveling with your group until I find Uncle, and that’s IT! You’re crazy, all of you. I don’t know why you don’t just kill me and be done with it. It’s a cruel joke, is what it is,” he ranted. Aang cocked his head.   
“Why on earth would we kill you? You know we don’t kill people, right?” Zuko scoffed.   
“That’s your flying bison, right?” he said, injecting what he must have thought was a convincing amount of disgust into his voice. Indeed it was. Appa was waiting patiently for them in the same spot they had left him in. 

“It sure is! Appa, buddy, how you been!” Aang rushed forward and rushed at Appa, jumping on top of the beast’s head in their customary embrace. He growled affectionately in response. Katara smiled.  
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” she said to Zuko, who was staring at the exchange with an expression of bewilderment. At the sound of her voice, his features settled into their customary grimace.   
“Cute? More like smelly. How do you live like this?” he said, but without much venom. Sokka walked up.  
“Smelly? Aang isn’t smelly!” he teased. Katara shot him a glare.  
“That’s not what I meant, Sokka!” Aang approached them, his brow furrowed and his staff pointed at Zuko. 

“Insult Appa again and that’ll be the LAST thing you ever do! He smells like roses and apple tarts!” he growled. Zuko took a step back, terror flashing across his face. Sokka and Katara laughed. “Uh… you know that was a joke right?” Zuko didn’t reply. Aang quickly attempted to explain.  
“I was just kidding, I mean he is kind of stinky, but you get used to it. We won’t hurt you, I swear. It was just a joke.”  
“Yeah, Aang, maybe let’s hold off on the jokes for a while,” Katara interjected. “Come on, Zuko, we’ll help you get on. It’s kinda hard to climb up your first time.” He didn’t reply or move. His eyes were darting back and forth.   
“You coming, buddy?” Sokka was already on top of Appa.   
“What are you people actually going to do to me? You have literally no motivation for helping me, and every reason to leave me here to die! I am your enemy!” Sokka sighed and jumped off the bison. 

“Dude. Listen to me,” he said, approaching Zuko and placing his hands on the other’s shoulders. With surprise, he noticed that he radiated heat. Zuko jerked away and met his eyes with a look not unlike that of a caged animal. Kuruk, Sokka thought. He was going to KILL the firelord when he met him. Even if that technically was Aang’s job. “Calm down. We aren’t going to hurt you, we want to be your friend. You aren’t our enemy, you’re a kid like us.” Zuko leapt back, and practically roared at him.

“You’re lying! You’re lying, you’re lying!” He backed away, smoke trailing from his fingertips. Then he ran to a nearby boulder and collapsed behind it. The three exchanged glances and then quietly followed behind. The firebender was whispering something to himself, over and over. It sounded like a mantra. Sokka tiptoed a bit closer and peered over the lip of the boulder. He was curled into himself, rocking back and forth, repeating the same words.   
“Azula always lies, Azula always lies, Azula always lies, Azula always lies…” He looked like he was somewhere else in that moment. 

Katara wisely gestured for all of them to fall back, and they walked back over to Appa. They conversed in whispers.  
“Who on earth is Azula?”  
“How should I know? I’ve never heard that name before!”  
“You’re the avatar, if anyone would know it would be you.”  
“Shut up you guys, we need to go help him!” This last suggestion came from Katara. The two boys made no move to approach him, and she sighed.  
“I guess I have to do everything myself,” she said, and walked softly over to the boulder. She laid a gentle hand on Zuko’s shoulder. They followed behind her.   
“Zuko?” Aang tried. “Do you want to see my marble trick? Would that make you feel better?” He received no response. Evidently, Zuko did not want to see his super cool marble trick.

“Look, Zuko, we’re your only way off this island,” Sokka said. Finally, Zuko looked up. His eyes met those of the Water Tribe boy’s. Rather a pretty golden color, Sokka thought. Unusual. “You coming with or not?” In response, Zuko pulled out a dagger with some writing inscribed on the blade. The others stepped back a bit, looking unsure, but Sokka stayed where he was. He grabbed his ponytail and with one swift motion, chopped it off.   
“Um… why’d you do that?” Aang asked.   
“I’m with you.” Zuko put the dagger back in his bag, and chucked the ponytail into the sea. Sokka shrugged. Best not to question it.   
“Alright then. Need a boost? Appa’s pretty tall.” He gestured towards the furry six-legged creature that was grumbling good-naturedly.   
“No, I don’t,” he replied, and jumped up. It was pretty clear he wasn’t gonna make it, and Aang sent up a small blast of air to help him. “Whoa!” Despite his surprise, he actually landed pretty well. The other three followed up with considerable more ease, and everyone except for Aang took a seat in the large saddle.   
“Alright people, hold on tight! Yip yip!” Zuko let out a rather undignified scream as they rose from the ground at an alarming rate. Sokka stifled laughter. It was a bit more funny than he’d like to admit, having a fire nation soldier across from him in the saddle and clutching to the handles for dear life. 

The prince calmed down once they were in the sky proper, and was now attempting to pretend he had never been scared at all. Sokka made fun of him for a while, but when that got old, he contented himself with just staring at him. The older boy was sitting cross-legged and had his eyes closed, presumably doing a breathing exercise of some sort. And that weird little patch of hair was just sitting on top of his head. It was so strange-looking. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He interrupted Zuko’s meditation.  
“Hey, sorry, but I gotta say something. Do you want me to help you with… that?” Zuko opened his eyes and glared at him. Cute, Sokka thought. Then he wondered why he thought that.  
“Help with what?”   
“Well, as you can see by my impeccably shaved wolftail, I am an expert barber. And you have a really strange reverse-bald patch thing going on and it’s kind of awful to look at. Like, you would be better off bald. Seriously.” Zuko frowned and ran his hand over his head self-consciously.   
“You want to give me a haircut?”  
“Uh, I guess?” Katara was watching the exchange with some amusement. The prince shrugged.  
“I suppose. If you cut me though, you’re going to regret it.” Sokka smirked.   
“Yeah sure I will, Mister EEEEeeeeeeee…” he said, mocking the shriek Zuko had let out when Appa had taken off. Aang chuckled from the front.  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Just get it over with.” He bowed his head. Cautiously, Sokka pulled out his boomerang and scooched closer.

“THAT’S what you’re cutting my hair with? You’re joking!”   
“It’s the sharpest thing I have on me. Sorry if it’s not like haircuts at the palace, Pretty Boy,” Sokka sniped. Katara stared.  
“What kind of an insult is that, Sokka? Pretty boy? You’re losing your touch.” She shook her head.  
“Oh come on, it just slipped out! No! What I mean is…” Sokka glanced back at Zuko helplessly. He was bright red.  
“Just. Just cut my hair.” He sounded utterly humiliated. The warrior mumbled a quick sorry before leaning forward and quickly dragging the blade across his scalp. It was a very odd experience, holding Zuko’s head. He decided not to reflect on it too much. Pretty quickly he was done, and he put the boomerang back in his bag. Then he tossed the leftover fuzz over the side of the saddle.   
“All done!” Sokka cheerfully said. Annoyingly enough, his voice cracked while saying it. Zuko looked up, his cheeks still flushed.   
“Thanks,” he said brusquely. He passed his hand over his bare head, and a strange look passed over his face.   
“I mean, it could be worse. You have a nicely-shaped head, at least,” Sokka offered up.   
“Great. That really makes me feel better.”   
“HEY! Bald buddies!” Aang scrambled back into the saddle with a grin. He gave Zuko a noogie. “We’re practically twins now!” 

Zuko looked as if he was in physical pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got rid of the ponytail, thank god. Will I apologize for the Azula bit and in all probability making some of y'all cry? NOPE. Managed to slot in some more Zukka, which all ATLA renaissance babes love. I am so sorry for the late update, my custody schedule had me in my mom's house which has no wifi. Thank you all for waiting so patiently. Your comments fuel me, so drop em. Anything. Please. As for the progression of this fic, I can confidently say that there will be more than five chapters. Will there be ten? Fifteen? Three hundred twenty seven? Fuck if I know. Love you and drink water <3


	5. Midnight banter and fish-faced boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko experiences a ride on Appa

A few hours of silent flight later, the moon was fully risen and Zuko looked like hell. He was clearly fighting to stay awake, while the rest of them were still mostly alert.   
“Dude, it’s not that late. What’s wrong?” Sokka asked him.   
“Firebenders rise with the sun. We usually sleep with it too.” At this, Aang piped up.   
“My friend Kuzon was like that too. You can take a nap if you want, but we’ll be landing soon. I think there’s a town pretty close by where we can get some supplies.” Zuko looked almost offended at the suggestion, and sat up even straighter. Sokka examined him, still a little weirded out by his presence. Under the moonlight, he seemed weaker, more vulnerable. His already pale skin seemed even more papery, and his eyes that were golden in the sun seemed drained of their color in the blue light of evening. 

“What?!” Zuko snapped. With a start, Sokka realized that he had been staring. He fumbled, trying to formulate a coherent response.  
“Oh, uh, what? Huh? You said something, buddy?” He reached up and untied his wolftail. “You know what, I think I’ll take a snooze.” Sokka yawned exaggeratedly. Maybe a gesture of trust will help him loosen up, he thought. Even though practically every brain cell that he possessed was screaming at him that this was a bad idea, he laid on the saddle and attempted a doze. He was unsuccessful. Between Appa’s rocking and the knowledge that the fucking prince of the fire nation was RIGHT THERE, he didn’t manage a wink. But he pretended to sleep, for Zuko’s sake.

Oh no. This was bad. He was riding on the Avatar’s bison, Zhao was going to tell his father about it, he had no idea where uncle was, and these kids were trying to make friends with him. Not to mention that the sun had set and fatigue was making him vulnerable. There was no way he could sleep around these people. He barely knew them! The decision to let Water Tribe boy cut his hair was… a calculated risk. Very calculated. He had to pretend to trust them so that they would let down their guard. There was no emotion involved in that decision whatsoever. Just as he started to drift off, the warrior spoke.  
“Dude, it’s not that late. What’s wrong?” Zuko bristled slightly. It was VERY late. The sun had set two hours ago. Any reasonable person would have gone to bed already.   
“Firebenders rise with the sun. We usually sleep with it too,” he replied. The Avatar (The Avatar! He was right there!) turned around, smiling.   
“My friend Kuzon was like that too. You can take a nap if you want,” A nap? What was he, five? “But we’ll be landing soon. I think there’s a town pretty close by where we can get some supplies.” With that, the airbender turned back around and resumed his usual place at the reigns. 

Zuko straightened his posture in an attempt to stay awake. He looked around the saddle, his eyes passing over the child and the girl, eventually landing on Water Tribe boy. Wasn’t his name Sokka? Why was a nonbender traveling with them? What was his role in this strange group? He mused for a minute, but then his thoughts turned to less sophisticated matters. His gaze landed on the other boy’s callused hands, resting in his lap. They were an interesting shade of brown, he thought. No one in the fire nation looked like that. His gaze traveled up, until eventually he realized that the other boy was looking at him too. He was just… staring.   
“What?!” he snapped, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Which was absurd. Sokka shook his head quickly and gave a weak grin.   
“Oh, uh, what? Huh? You said something buddy?” He pulled on something on his head, and then his dark hair came down like a curtain. Whoa. “You know what, I think I’ll take a snooze.” He yawned widely, and laid down on the saddle with his hands tucked behind his head. Zuko’s thoughts were chiefly occupied by two questions. Why is he sleeping when I’m right here? And why the hell does he ever put his hair up? He did his best to ignore the second bit. The hairstyles the enemy chose were hardly his concern, he told himself. 

“Hey Zuko? Wanna play a game?” The airbender broke his reverie. A game? What did that entail, exactly? He had played many games as a child, but they were all made up by Azula and none of them were fun. The Avatar, or rather Aang, must have seen the hesitation on his face, because he addressed the waterbender next.   
“Katara, do you want to teach Zuko how we play Count the Dolphins?” She smiled. Count the dolphins? They were flying, for Sozin’s sake. What did that mean?  
“No thank you. You people can play your stupid games, but I want no part in it.” He turned his back to them. For a moment, a stirring of guilt reared its ugly head, but he ignored it. He’s gotten good at doing that. 

“Well, okay. Katara, do you want to play?” There was a pause before she answered.  
“I’m not really in the mood right now Aang. I think everyone’s a little sleepy right now.” She hummed to herself a little bit. There was another, lengthier pause.   
“Hey! I see the town! Guys, wake up! I’m gonna land Appa!” Aang said, perhaps a bit louder than was necessary. Zuko turned around to glare at him, but he was preoccupied with the reins. Sokka yawned again, theatrically, and sat up slowly. His hair was just long enough to brush his jaw. Zuko looked away, scowling. 

“Alright Jerk Prince, buckle up. If taking off has taught us anything, you probably won’t take too well to landing either.” The warrior chuckled slightly to himself. Bristling with indignation, he looked up again and opened his mouth, intending to fire back an angry retort, but found himself suddenly struck dumb. The moonlight made Water Tribe boy’s eyes glow in a way that he had only seen at night on the still turtleduck pond back at home. He closed his mouth again.

“Whatsa matter? You look like a fish.” Sokka peered at him with amusement. Heat spread up the back of his neck and onto the tips of ears. Oh for Sozin’s sake.  
“Nothing! Shut up, will you?” he said angrily. The other boy laughed softly and turned around to peer over the side of the saddle. Zuko took a deep breath. And then another. And then his next one was interrupted because Appa had just lunged downward and his heart was in his mouth. 

“Aah!” This time he managed to cut off his yell. He plunged his face into his sleeve and pretended to sneeze. To no avail, apparently. All three of them were laughing hysterically. When Appa landed, they were still laughing. It took all of Zuko’s willpower to not set all of them on fire. They all dismounted gracefully, but he was still up in the saddle, pondering how on earth he was to get down without looking like a total idiot. Sokka strolled over and grinned at him smugly. Damn him.  
“Need a hand?” The warrior extended his arm. In response, he merely scowled and jumped off, landing with a painful bump on the hard ground.   
“Uh, okay then. We don’t have an extra tent, so you’ll have to share with one of us.” Sokka casually turned and walked away, like what he had just said wasn’t totally insane. Zuko shook his head and found a tree in the vicinity with somewhat comfortable roots. Then he set up for the night, namely by sitting up ramrod straight so that there was no chance of him falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to write romance. So yeah, here you go *proffers a pile of steaming trash*


	6. I Need Sunglasses to Look at You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gaang go over finances and accidentally gain the ire of a crew of rapscallions.

Sokka awoke the next morning to the sounds of birds chirping. He sat up slowly and blinked, then began to get ready for the day.

“Stupid birds,” he muttered. Aang and Katara were apparently still asleep, so he tiptoed over to Appa to check on him and momo. They were dozing peacefully. Suddenly he remembered. Zuko. Which tent had he slept in? He crept over to Aang’s tent and peered inside. Aang was sleeping peacefully, a small smile on his face. No Zuko. Sokka frowned. He went over to Katara’s tent just to make sure, but she was alone as well. Hmm. Had he snuck off in the night? That didn’t make much sense.  
Still, the higher priority right now was breakfast! So he headed into the woods to find some berries and nuts. They were short on supplies again, so it would have to do until they got more things in town. He hummed a little to himself as he waded through the brush, but abruptly stopped. 

The prince of the Fire Nation was cradled in a tree root, sleeping in the middle of the forest. So that was where Zuko had taken up residence for the night. It didn’t look very comfortable, he thought wryly. He was about to move on, but something made him stop and stare. In the light of early dawn, the woods felt almost magical. But for some reason, his feet were glued to the ground. He let his gaze rest on the sleeping boy and began taking mental notes. There was a tiny bit of fuzz just starting to grow on Zuko’s head. His lips were slightly parted in slumber, and he shifted slightly. Sokka’s eyes trailed the contours of his chin down to his delicate collarbone. 

The sun slipped fully over the horizon and Zuko awoke. His eyes fluttered, and then he shot bolt upright, a look of panic flitting over his features. He stood hastily and muttered something under his breath, wincing slightly. Then he opened his eyes fully and looked around. And noticed Sokka.   
“Uh, morning?” Sokka said, scratching the back of his neck. Zuko stood there for a few seconds, mouth agape.   
“Uh…” Zuko’s voice was raspy from sleep. Sokka’s eyes widened slightly at the sound. Zuko cleared his throat. “Sokka.”   
“That’s my name!” He chuckled nervously. “Anyway, I’m gonna go wake up the other two… But you didn’t have to sleep there, just so you know,” Sokka said, and quickly walked back to camp, his head buzzing.

“Aang! Katara! Wakey-wakey!” he bellowed. Katara replied with a sleepy growl, but Aang popped out of his tent, pulling his shirt over his head.  
“Mornin’ Sokka!” Aang was obscenely cheerful.  
“It’s dawn!” Sokka exclaimed. “How are you this energetic?” Katara’s tent started to move a bit, and she shuffled out into the sunlight, rubbing her eyes.  
“Every dawn is a new day. Why wouldn’t I be happy about it?”  
“Ugh. Morning people,” she said. “Sokka, what are we doing today?” She suddenly snapped to attention. “And where’s Zuko?” The firebender in question answered her by traipsing out of the woods stiff-backed and sullen-faced. 

“Well, we are rather low on supplies, so we’ll do a quick shopping run and then hop back on Appa,” he replied. She nodded.   
“How much money do we have?” she asked. Aang piped up.  
“I have two copper pieces!” He pulled two dingy coins out of his pockets. Zuko scoffed, and they all simultaneously turned to look at him. 

“You can’t buy anything with that,” he said, and scowled.   
“What do you mean? You can buy plenty!” Katara looked at him incredulously. “How much do you think food costs, Zuko?”   
“Uh…”  
“Okay, I’ll make it easy for ya bud. How much do you think, say, one mango costs?” Sokka held up one finger and waited expectantly. Zuko suddenly looked very uncomfortable.  
“I don’t know. Five silver pieces?” 

Silence. 

“That was wrong, wasn’t it?” The prince looked at his feet.  
“Um, yeah. Believe it or not, mangoes do not cost FIVE SILVER PIECES, Mr. heir to the throne. Yeesh,” Sokka said, struggling to hold back laughter.  
“Look, my uncle always managed our money, and I don’t like mangoes!” Zuko said defensively. Adorable, Sokka thought. Then he mentally yelled at his own brain to shut the hell up.   
“Okay then.” Aang said, grinning. “Do you have any money with you?”   
“Um, just some pocket change,” Zuko muttered. He reached into his pack and pulled out a handful of silver.   
“Holy-” Sokka stopped talking the instant Katara fixed him with a glare. Right. The kid was twelve. “Buddy,” he continued, “That’s not pocket change. That’ll feed us for like, three months.” 

A hesitant smile washed over Zuko’s face, and Sokka’s heart stopped. He couldn’t have stopped staring even if he wanted too. It was like looking directly at the sun.  
“Oh. That’s good then. I’ll be sure to have found Uncle by then,” he said quietly. Sokka let out a braying laugh, trying to calm his pounding heart. What the hell was going on?  
“Sokka? What’s wrong?” Aang gave him a concerned look.   
“I think I’m feeling a bit ill,” he said truthfully. Katara sighed.  
“Okay. Me and Aang will go to the market. You two can just stay at camp. Come on Aang,” she said, and headed into town.

“So. How ya been?”  
“Fine.” Zuko turned away, stony-faced.   
“Wow. You’re quite the gifted storyteller.”  
Silence. Sokka awkwardly sat down on the grass, and Zuko, surprisingly, followed suit.   
“Why’d you sleep in that tree root?” he asked, casting about for a topic of conversation.   
“You don’t seem ill.” Wow. Obvious change of subject. He made a mental note to ask about it later.   
“I don’t get it either, to be honest. You were in the middle of talking and I just felt kind of dizzy. I’ve felt sort of strange ever since we were thrown in that prison cell,” he explained, and ran his hand through his hair. Zuko’s eyes followed the motion. “Jealous, huh?” he teased. “Don’t worry, you won’t be bald for long. It’ll grow out, just wait.” 

“I am not jealous!” he snapped. Sokka patted him on the head. Huh. Warm.  
“It’s alright. Your secret is safe with me,” he joked. The firebender had gone very still under his hand. Sokka heard him start to breathe faster.  
“What secret? Don’t touch me.” Zuko scooched a bit further away on the grass.  
“That you miss your awful ponytail!”  
“Phoenix tail!”

“It’s a ponytail. Look, do you know if I’ve been infected with some weird Fire Nation disease? Because I’ve been feeling kind of weird ever since we left that temple.” Sokka crawled over and sat next to him again.   
“How should I know? I’m not a healer.”  
“Figured I might as well ask. You’re the crown prince after all.”

They sat in silence for a bit. He felt oddly at peace, sitting in the sunny clearing.  
“Why do you stare at me so much?” Zuko asked quietly. He turned to look at the prince, but his back was turned.   
“I don’t.”

The birds were giving him a headache. The older boy was sitting in a meditative stance, and his eyes were closed.   
“Can I make fun of you?” Sokka asked hopefully. Zuko cracked open one eye.  
“Be quiet.”  
“I’ll take that as a yes. Jerkbender.”  
“I said be quiet!”

Sokka was getting bored, so he found a stick. Now he was still bored, but he had a stick.   
“Sokka! Zuko! Get on Appa! Now!” Katara and Aang were running full tilt at them, screaming.  
“Holy shit!” He ran to pack up their tents. “What the hell did they get into this time?” Aang skidded into the clearing, wheezing. Katara followed close behind him.  
“Pirates. We- need to go!” Aang panted, pointing behind him. In the distance, a group of dangerous looking men were sprinting in their general direction.  
“What the fuck is going on?” Sokka tossed the bags onto the bison, who was waking up from a nap and growling softly.  
“Language, Sokka!” Katara reprimanded. “I’ll explain in a minute but we need to get out of here!” The pirates were close enough for a good boomerang throw, he thought.  
“Come on, everyone!” Aang yelled. They hurriedly climbed up onto Appa. “Yip yip, boy, yip yip!” And not a moment too soon. Appa cleared the canopy just as the first of the pirates stumbled across their campsite. 

Everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief. Sokka turned to Katara.  
“What the hell did you guys do?”   
“Um,” Katara admitted, “I kinda stole a waterbending scroll from their ship.” Sokka’s jaw dropped and Aang’s did as well. Even Zuko looked mildly surprised.  
“You have got to be joking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is my headcanon that zuko does not know the price of anything. "How much could a banana cost? ten dollars??" Sokka has fallen ill with a mysterious illness. I WONDER WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE HMMMMMM. Dumbass. Your comments give me will to live  
> Love yinz <3


	7. Fire Lily Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feels and a fall.

He didn’t scream when they took off this time, which was probably a good thing. Zuko wasn’t fond of humiliation. It wasn’t exactly like he was at his most honorable though, he thought ruefully, rubbing his fuzzy head. The children- his enemies- didn’t seem to care much that he looked like a bruised peach, but it’s not like they mattered at all. It’s not like he cared about any of them. Definitely not. And he definitely hadn’t been worried about their safety when the pirates had shown up. 

“Hey flameo hotman!” He was snapped out of his reverie by an excessively enthusiastic Aang. “Wanna play komodo-rhino lizard-chicken berry?” He blinked slowly.  
“Um. What?”  
“For short we call it Rhino Chicken Berry. I can teach you to play if you want, hotman.” Aang sat back on his heels, looking expectant. Zuko considered this for a second. He was pretty bored. He sighed.  
“Fine. But don’t call me hotman,” he replied grumpily. Aang pumped his fist in the air and cheered. Sokka turned towards him, grinning. 

“Oh boy, this should be fun. Okay, so to start with, this is komodo-rhino,” Sokka said, lifting his arms over his head and forming his hands into the shape of a horn. Feeling stupid, Zuko imitated him.  
“That’s the spirit! This one is lizard-chicken.” He pulled his arms back and bent his elbows to make the shape of a wing, and flapped his arms a little bit. “And lastly, this is berry.” Sokka held up his hand and formed a circle with his index finger and thumb.  
“Okay, fine. How does the game work?”  
“Well, rhino tramples chicken, chicken eats berry, and berry poisons rhino. Me and Katara’ll show ya,” Sokka explained. Then he turned to his sister. Zuko watched them closely.  
“Rhino chicken berry, rhino chicken berry!” they chanted, pounding their fists into their open palms. Sokka raised his arms over his head to form the symbol for rhino, and katara held up her hand in a circle. Sokka’s shoulders slumped.  
“Man, she always wins. Anyway, you get the gist?”  
“Seems like a pretty dumb game,” Zuko scoffed.  
“Hey, Aang made it up, so don’t look at me. Don’t knock it till you try it dude, come on. Please?” Sokka clasped his hands together and widened his eyes, staring pitifully up at Zuko. He was about to laugh at the ridiculous attempt, but something in his chest twisted as he watched the boy sitting across from him. Those eyes. Ugh.

“Okay, FINE. Stop looking at me like that. I’ll play for one round,” he stated firmly. A wide grin split across Sokka’s face, and he felt a stirring of fondness in his chest. Nope. Nope nope nope. He quashed it as best he could, trying to ignore the heat flooding into his face.  
“Are you okay? You look sort of flushed,” Katara said, looking worried.  
“I’m fine. Okay, let’s play or whatever. Rhino chicken berry or whatever the fuck,” Zuko muttered, ignoring the reproachful look the waterbender sent him in response.  
“Heck yeah! Let’s go! Rhino chicken berry, Rhino chicken berry!” Sokka raised his arms over his head yet again, while Zuko made the sign for berry. “Oh come on!”  
“You are pretty predictable, Sokka,” Aang observed. Sokka groaned loudly in response. Zuko’s stomach flipped over rather violently and his breath hitched. Ohh Agni. Oh no. 

“Zuko! Are you alright? Seriously, you look like a tomato!” Katara said, peering at him concernedly. He briefly considered leaping over the side of the saddle and falling to his death. Determinedly avoiding everyone’s gaze, he scowled.  
“I told you, I’m fine.”  
“Oh no. Did you get sick too?” Katara leaned forward and tried to lay her hand on his forehead to get his temperature, but he jerked back.  
“Katara, I don’t think either of them are sick,” Aang said knowingly, dropping the reins and joining the group in the saddle. Katara frowned.  
“Whatever you say, I guess,” she said, and retreated back into her own private world. 

He glanced at Sokka who was staring at Aang, evidently confused. Yet again, he found his gaze trapped like a fly stuck in honey. And honey was a good way to describe the countenance he found himself presented with, he reflected absent-mindedly. Not the golden honey that resulted from clovers, though. More the shade that occurred when the bees were let loose on a field of fire lilies and the honey that spilled out was smokier in flavor and a warm brown. His favorite kind. Zuko smiled at the memory of honey cakes with his mother in the middle of the night, giggling softly under the light of the moon.  
His thoughts wandered further. Sokka looked like someone blessed by Agni tenfold. In the Fire Nation, those born with browner skin were considered blessed with good fortune, as they looked like they had bathed in the sun from the moment of birth. It was the same for those with fire-colored eyes. The warrior did not have fire-colored eyes. His were the color of the sea as it met the pale sands of the shore.  
He became aware that he must have been staring for at least a few minutes now. It’s probably a good idea to look away now, he reminded himself. Unfortunately, a much stronger part of his brain insisted that NO, he must keep looking at this gorgeous boy. Wait. Gorgeous? Oh no. This was NOT happening, he thought furiously. He was not going to get a crush on this boy. He was going to find Uncle and leave. FUCK.

“Um, Zuko. Swearing, remember?” Katara scolded. Evidently he had said that last part aloud. He quickly tore his eyes away from Sokka, who was bright red for some reason, and nodded cursorily in her direction.  
“Katara, I’m not a baby you know,” Aang said, sounding rather upset. Sokka cleared his throat and added his opinion.  
“Hmm. Actually, I think you are. You’re the youngest one here, only three years old!”  
“You know, I am actually technically older than all of you. And that isn’t funny Sokka!”  
“Iceberg years don’t count, Aang. Nice try.”  
“That’s just biased, Socks.”  
Zuko let the sounds of their banter wash over him. He was already too used to the dynamic of this group. It was so weirdly informal. This young boy was the avatar. He wielded unimaginable power. If anything, these two Water Tribe siblings should be acquiescing to his every whim. But they treated each other the way the sailors on his ship had acted amongst themselves, at least before he had entered the room. They made jokes and made fun and smiled. Despite himself, Zuko was enjoying this. It was sort of like having friends. He felt a hand on his knee and looked up.

And then he scooted backward almost violently, because it was SOKKA who was touching him. And then he lost his balance because he had scrambled back too far. And then he was falling through the air.  
“Dude, you okay- holy shit! Aang! Help!” he heard distantly through the sound of rushing wind. But his attention was far more focused on the ground below him that was quickly approaching his head. Someone was yelling, and then Zuko realized that he was the one yelling. He closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable impact, but then he felt a thin arm curl around his waist.  
“I got you Zuko, just hold on!” It was Aang, face strained with effort as blasts of wind filled the tiny red glider. And then he wasn’t falling, he was flying. And this was possibly even more terrifying. He clutched onto the child in a panic as Aang put more distance between himself and the ground. 

With one last gust of air, they landed safely on the back of Appa, and breathing heavily, Aang collapsed backwards. Katara rushed to help him up, and Sokka rushed over to Zuko.  
“Zuko, are you okay? I am so sorry I startled you. Holy shit,” he said, sounding incredibly panicked. And then his cheeks turned a deep maroon. “Haha. Looks like you’re fine I guess. Gonna go check on Aang now,” the other boy said nervously, and turned away abruptly. Zuko felt like he’d been punched in the gut. It could not have been made any more clear just how little he mattered. He turned his back on the others, who were all currently swarming around Aang to make sure he was alright, and buried his face in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, several things. The rhino chicken berry thing that they are playing is a. A blatant ripoff of rock paper scissors and b. An actual game I invented and play with my siblings. So there's that. Again, I do not know how to write romance, so feel free to make fun of me for this trash. Lastly, I am SO SO SORRY this update took so long to come out. Custody schedule and all that. Y'all have been so patient with me. <3 yinz
> 
> OKAY THIS IS ME SEVERAL DAYS LATER. ME WRITING THIS WAS NOT VERY MEGA BRAIN. I AM A POC SO I DIDN'T THINK TOO HARD ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE HONEY METAPHOR BECAUSE THAT IS HOW I WOULD DESCRIBE MYSELF. I WILL DEFINITELY AVOID COMPARING SKIN COLOR TO FOOD IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE IT CAN HURT PEOPLE'S FEELINGS. AGAIN SORRY


	8. Mouth-wheat boy is trash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoop-de doop, Jet's a jerk

After a quick round of komodo-rhino lizard-chicken berry, Sokka settled back into his usual cross-legged position, only to notice something very strange. After reassuring Katara that there was nothing wrong with him, Zuko went completely quiet and still. After about a minute of silence, he noticed that the other boy was looking at him very intently, almost like he was spaced out. It was kind of scary. 

But the situation only got stranger when Zuko smiled to himself and licked his lips slightly. What the fuck? He felt his cheeks start to heat up slightly, but didn’t say anything. Maybe his lips were just dry. His lips… he should probably stop thinking about them. Zuko appeared to shake himself out of whatever trance he was in, and an annoyed expression flitted over his features.  
“Fuck,” he murmured. Katara reprimanded the prince for swearing, and Sokka was grateful for the conversation starter when Aang protested. 

After happily teasing Aang for a few minutes, he felt his attention falling back to the firebender. With alarm, he noticed that Zuko’s eyes were misty. He laid a hand on the other boy’s knee.  
“Hey dude, you okay?” he asked. Zuko startled violently and scrambled backwards, tumbling off of Appa. Sokka gaped. “Holy shit! Aang! Help!” The monk glanced up sharply.  
“What’s…” A strangled yell ripped through the air. “Oh no!” he exclaimed, realization washing over his features. Without another word, he grabbed his glider and dove off. 

The following seconds felt like an eternity as Sokka and Katara anxiously waited for them to come back up. 

His heart was beating so fast.

With a woosh of air, Aang and his red glider tumbled onto the large leather saddle, followed closely by a tousled prince. A wash of relief flooded his body, and he immediately scrambled over to check that Zuko was, in fact, okay.  
“Zuko, are you okay? I am so sorry I startled you. Holy shit,” he blurted. The firebender shook his head slowly and blinked. Then Sokka remembered that he probably should have made sure Aang was okay first, and suddenly he felt deeply embarrassed. He attempted to cover up his tracks, so to speak.  
“Haha. Looks like you’re fine I guess. Gonna go check on Aang now,” he said. He didn’t miss the injured expression on Zuko’s face as he turned around. It made his stomach hurt. 

Over the next couple days Zuko was very quiet. Sokka tried making pleasant conversation, but every time he tried, Zuko just scowled and ignored him. That behavior wouldn’t have been out of place normally, but it still pained him. He wanted the prince to feel at ease around them. He wanted him to be their friend. So when they accidentally stumbled across a camp of fire nation soldiers, he did not expect what happened next.

They were bickering as usual. Zuko was trailing along in the back while Aang and Katara were teasing him about his instincts making them walk. He was annoyed, and as a result failed to notice that they had strolled straight into a fire nation encampment for a whole 5 seconds. It took those soldiers exactly zero seconds to decide that this random group of children were a threat, and they immediately started shooting fireballs. Sokka rushed into battle, but glanced over his shoulder. Much to his surprise, the prince of the fire nation wasn’t immediately running over to the camp and helping the soldiers. Instead he just stood there, looking terribly conflicted. 

The firebenders cornered them in short order, and Sokka decided that there was only one thing left to do.  
“If you let us pass, we promise not to hurt you!” he said loudly.   
“What are you doing?” Katara whispered from behind him.   
“Bluffing.”   
“You, promise not to hurt us?” The soldiers were clearly unimpressed. Seems that plan failed. Sokka was about to resign himself to a life in jail when one of their men collapsed, seemingly for no reason at all.   
“Nice work, Sokka! How’d you do that?” Aang asked.   
“Uh… instinct?” Out of nowhere, a tall boy with shaggy hair and the most ridiculous eyebrows he’d ever seen jumped out of the trees and started to fight the firebenders. He took down three men in a matter of seconds.

“Down ya go,” he said smugly.   
“They’re in the trees!” A man said. Almost on cue, weapons and children rained down simultaneously from the canopy. Soldiers were falling left and right. He pinpointed one and prepared to throw his boomerang with a hearty war cry, but ridiculous eyebrow boy with the hook weapons just kicked him.  
“Hey, he was mine!” Sokka said, bristling.  
“Gotta be quicker next time,” came the reply, and then the boy ran off. He immediately decided to hate him. Within a few seconds, the battle was over, and they all gathered around this boy.

“You just took out a whole army almost single-handed,” Aang breathed, admiration in his voice.   
“Army? There were only like, 20 guys!” Sokka’s protest went unheard, however. The boy turned around- and he noticed a piece of grass in his mouth-gross- and addressed them.  
“My name is Jet. And these are my freedom fighters. Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak. Now. Why didn’t your friend over there help us?” Jet gestured to Zuko, who was still standing stock-still.  
“Oh. Uh. His name is… Mako. And he… is scared of fighting,” Aang said hesitantly. Jet smirked crookedly and the mouth wheat shifted slightly.  
“You don’t seem too sure about that, but I’ll take your word for it. I’m sure Mako…” He strode over to where Zuko was and condescendingly tapped him on the nose. “... Has his uses.” Zuko looked incredibly uncomfortable at this, but remained quiet. Sokka found himself wanting to tear Jet’s arms off. 

A couple hours and a tour of the hideout later, Jet had made it abundantly clear that the last thing you wanted to be around him was fire nation. Sokka was grateful for a number of things: One, that zuko hadn’t helped in the fight: Two, that Zuko was keeping his mouth shut: And three, that the earth kingdom robes they had bought for zuko were apparently enough to convince everyone that Zuko was Mako, as long as he kept his golden eyes shaded with a hood. Jet, however, stayed close to Zuko the entire time, making Sokka worry. What if he knew? And if he found out, what would the consequences be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god I hate jet so much. Can you tell? Mhmm.


	9. Sleep tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko nightmares, ya hate to see it

“Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine!” Jet stood on the table and addressed the assembled freedom fighters, as well as his special guests sitting at the seats of honor. In response, he received a hearty cheer from the trees. It was a powerful sound, barring the fact that most of their voices hadn’t even dropped. Nevertheless, Sokka could find nothing in his heart but hatred for Jet. He couldn’t explain it but something about him rubbed him the wrong way. Zuko was sitting next to Sokka, and he could hear a sharp intake of breath.  
“I got a special joy from the look on one soldier’s face, when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog-monkey!” he said loudly. The Duke, a literal child, scampered onto the table and basked in the praise. Sokka found himself grinning despite everything. 

“Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don’t have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they’re right,” he said solemnly, turning his face away. He was met with hearty disapproval. As he doubtless was expecting, Sokka thought absently. Jet grinned.  
“Or maybe, they’re dead wrong!” This was met with more loud cheers. Aang and Katara joined in, but Zuko and Sokka stayed silent. Zuko was probably quiet because… why would he cheer? Sokka was quiet because Jet’s eyes had flashed on that last pronouncement in a way that set off his alarm bells. He glanced to Zuko, who was wearing a similar expression. He gave the firebender a meaningful glance. Jet hopped off the table.

“Hey Jet, nice speech,” Katara said. Jet parked himself right between her and Sokka. He crossed his arms in an attempt to keep himself from punching the guy. Zuko quickly lowered his head to hide his eyes.   
“Thanks,” he replied. “By the way, I was really impressed with you and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there today.” Jet pointedly glanced over at Zuko, who stiffened slightly. Sokka felt a shock of apprehension ripple through his system, and he instinctively scooched over closer to Zuko. The prince gave him a look that was hard to read. Katara smiled, seemingly not noticing. What was wrong with her? She was usually so perceptive. It was like Jet’s presence had caused her to let down her guard.  
“Well, he’s great. He’s the avatar. I could use some more training,” she said, the picture of modesty. Jet slouched artfully, and barely seemed to react at all.  
“Avatar, huh? Very nice,” he said lazily. Aang perked up.  
“Thanks, Jet,” he said happily. Sokka glanced at Katara, and tried to figure out what was wrong. She was leaning forward, a shy smile on her face, and her gaze was locked on Jet. Understanding washed over him. Oh no. Fuck no. Not this guy. 

“So, I might know a way that you and Aang can help in our struggle,” he said, changing the subject effortlessly. Sokka didn’t like where this was going.  
“Unfortunately,” he interrupted, “We have to leave tonight.” He stood up and made to walk away from the table. Jet’s voice chased after him.  
“Sokka, you’re kidding me. I needed you on an important mission tomorrow,” he said, the disappointment clear in his voice. Sokka paused. Every rational part of him was telling him to stand his ground. The longer they stayed, the better the chance that someone would find out that Mako wasn’t really Mako, and Jet did not bode well. He turned around.  
“I’m sorry, but we really need to go,” he said firmly.   
“At least stay the night? We can give you a warm place to sleep,” he insisted. He saw the look on Aang’s face, and his resolve melted.   
“Okay, but we’ll be leaving in the morning,” he decided. Katara shot him a glare, but he didn’t look at her. “Come on Aang, Katara. Um. Mako. We need to go to sleep now.”   
“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping. Follow me,” Jet said, his gaze trained on Zuko who was currently staring down at his own feet. Sokka felt a stir of distaste but kept a poker face. 

Jet smirked and adjusted the wheat in his mouth, and then curled his finger in a beckoning gesture. They followed him away from the warm lights and into the dark canopy of the woods. He leapt like a silent spider from branch to branch, barely snagging the various ropes that hung as assistance. The ropes stilled seconds afterwards as if he had never touched them. Aang kept up easily, but the rest of them struggled behind. When they were all gathered on a small wooden platform, Jet gestured to a tiny hut with a few piles of straw inside.   
“It’s not perfect, but it’s nicer accommodations than your tents, I’m sure. Have a nice night,” he said, eyes trained on Zuko. Then he leapt off the platform and disappeared into the dusk. 

As soon as he left, Zuko visibly relaxed. Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder and was surprised when he didn’t shake it off.   
“Okay, so there are three piles of straw in here. Zuko, your sleeping bag is thinner than ours, so you should take one,” Aang mused aloud. Sokka battled the urge to shake him.   
“Aang, I don’t know who Zuko is. Mako should definitely do what you suggested, however,” he said pointedly. Aang’s eyes went wide and he nodded. The prince laid his sleeping bag down, despite the fact that this was the first time he had slept anywhere near the rest of them. Usually he walked as far away as possible. Katara was already taking the second pile, so he laid his on the wooden floor. Aang opened his mouth to protest, but Sokka cut him off.  
“Dude, I’ll take the floor. It’s not a big deal. Sleep on the third pile next to Katara,” he ordered. Aang saw the look on his face and complied. 

Later that night he woke. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the wooden boards, and everything was still. Then he heard it. It was a soft sound, barely audible. He sat up and listened. It sounded disturbingly similar to a child in distress. He turned his head. Aang and Katara were slumbering peacefully on the other side of the hut, and Zuko was next to him, facing away.   
“No…” Zuko murmured, and let out a quiet whimper. His hands balled up around the fabric of the sleeping bag. In a flash, Sokka understood. Zuko must be having a nightmare. He stood up as silently as he could and leaned over the other boy’s prone figure. His dark eyebrows were furrowed, and fear was etched into the lines of his face.   
“Father please,” he whispered. Sokka glanced nervously about, unsure what to do. He met Aang’s gaze, who was sitting up now. They exchanged a worried look. He made a decision, and put his hand softly on Zuko’s shoulder.  
“Zuko, wake up,” he whispered. No response. He shook Zuko a bit. “Wake up.” With a gasp, he sat bolt upright and clutched onto Sokka’s arm.   
“Mother-” he said desperately.   
“Shhh. You were having a nightmare, jerkbender,” he replied quietly. It was the best solace he could offer when his own chest felt so tight.   
“I- shit.” Zuko let go of his arm, his face darkening in the blue light of the stars. “Sorry.”   
“It’s okay, Zuko. Go back to sleep,” he said gently. Still half-asleep, Zuko nodded and fell back, dropping off quickly. Aang followed suit. 

Half an hour later, Sokka still wasn’t able to get back to sleep. Which was why he heard the quiet sounds of footsteps when nobody else did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cannot believe that people are actually reading this aaaahhhhh anyway i know this update is insanely late, its because i am a messy bitch. Dont @ me


	10. Bloody Knives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight!!!!

Sokka tensed under the covers and listened closely. The footsteps outside the door were almost too quiet to be noticeable. Whoever this was obviously knew their way around stealth missions. The footsteps paused right outside the door, blocking the moonlight. Heart pounding, he pretended to roll over in sleep, mumbling slightly. His hand brushed against the handle of his club and he smiled slightly. Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around the weapon in preparation. The quiet sound of footsteps came back after a few minutes of absolute silence. They were inside the shed. Sokka opened his left eye just a crack, and his suspicions were confirmed.   
It was Jet. But the thing that really caught his attention was the knife in Jet’s hand and the way his eyes were burning as he looked at Zuko’s sleeping form. Shit. This made the situation significantly more difficult. He made a split second decision and yawned loudly.  
“Guys, I’m trying to sleep,” he mumbled, just loud enough for Jet to hear. With satisfaction he noted the sharp intake of breath this statement caused. He set the club down and sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He pretended not to notice the frozen form of the freedom fighter who was watching him like a hunted animal. He let his gaze drift, and finally, he directed his gaze towards the intruder. Sokka put on his best shocked face and opened his mouth. Jet started to look almost panicked. But then his features relaxed into a… smirk?

“Come with me,” Jet whispered, smoothly tucking the knife into a hidden pocket somewhere. Unsure where this was going, he followed Jet outside. Once they were out of earshot, Jet turned to him and grinned.  
“Your friend Mako is Fire Nation, Sokka,” he said smugly. Several thoughts ran through his head all at once. Should he pretend to be surprised? Should he deny it? How does Jet even know?  
“What- what do you mean? Why do you say that, Jet?” he said. His voice was admittedly a bit too squeaky, but with any luck Jet would attribute that to shock.   
“When I first saw him, I knew there was something off. When we were fighting, he didn’t help at all, even though he’s obviously strong. Furthermore, during the battle, at one point he actually shifted into a fighting stance, but didn’t go through with anything at all. Sokka, I’ve watched firebenders enough to know how they fight, and his foot position was eerily reminiscent of a fire nation soldier,” he murmured. Sokka nodded slowly, fighting the urge to scream. This was bad.  
“But… it’s like Aang said. Mako is scared of fighting. And I think the stance was a coincidence,” he bluffed. Jet shook his head.

“I might agree with you if that were it, but it’s not. After the battle I walked up to Mako and tapped his nose, do you remember? I did that to check his eyes and temperature. I already had suspicions, and the result of that test told me what I needed to know. I saw his eyes, and they were yellow. And his skin was hot. Most firebenders feel absolutely feverish to everyone else. That’s why I came in there with a knife. I was trying to protect you guys,” he said, his voice incredibly earnest. Shit. Shit shit. There was no denying it now.   
“Ah. Right. Um. And you’re sure? I mean, if he was a firebender he for sure would have attacked us by now, right? Maybe you’re wrong,” he stammered. Jet narrowed his eyes.   
“Regardless of whether or not he’s actively hostile to you, he’s still Fire Nation. That’s why we have to get rid of him. Now come on, I need your help,” he said, gesturing towards the ramshackle cabin with his knife. 

Slow fury began to bubble up inside his chest, and he clenched his fist.   
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” he said tightly. Jet did a double-take.   
“Sokka, he’s Fire Nation. You have to believe me. Now come on, we don’t have time to waste,” he said incredulously, and turned to approach the cabin again. Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.  
“I know. You’re not going in there.” Jet stiffened under his grasp and whirled around, his expression furious.   
“What the hell is wrong with you, man?”  
“He’s my friend. You’re not touching him!” He crossed his arms and scowled. The furious twist of Jet’s features unwound into something else. He stared at Sokka and then very slowly and deliberately pointed the knife at his chest. Jet took a step forward and he took a step back, starting to sweat.  
“You’re a traitor. You’ll die first, and your friend in there will be next,” he snarled.   
“Guys! Help!” Sokka started yelling, but paused when he felt the blade pressed against his throat. He desperately wished for a weapon. Well. His hands might do, he thought. 

He quickly backed away and used the split second of time afforded to him to duck under the knife and hit Jet in the stomach. He felt the sting of the blade graze his right ear, and hissed. 

Recalling the training Suki had given him, he watched Jet’s feet and barrelled into him when he saw an imbalance. With a startled yelp, Jet scrambled backwards. 

It didn’t take him very long to right himself, and Sokka was once again too slow to avoid the steel. A deep gash opened on his arm, and he fought to remain conscious.

“This is not a fair fight,” he muttered, trying to fix his eyes on the blurry form of his opponent.   
“It’s not meant to be,” Jet said, and lunged forward once more. Sokka sidestepped as best he could, wobbling slightly. There was blood pooling under his feet. Where had that come from?

“Hey!” Bright light flashed and Jet was thrown backwards by something. What? Sokka blinked. Flames were curling around the foliage, and Jet looked vaguely stunned. He whipped around and saw a darkened figure with its hand outstretched.   
“Leave him alone, Jet!” It stepped forward into the light, and if Sokka hadn’t been feeling woozy before, this alone would have done the trick. Zuko was standing there, his hands and eyes glowing in the firelight, and his gaze was fixated on Jet. The scent of smoke rose as the fire started to catch in the canopy of the tree. Zuko glanced at it, and took a deep breath. The fire went out, and everything was plunged back into darkness.   
“Don’t hurt Sokka. He’s done nothing to you,” Zuko said. The orange light flared back to life in the firebender’s hands. It cast a sickly glow on Jet’s olive skin, but Zuko looked alive. And dangerous. 

“Zuko. I’m. I think I’m bleeding,” he managed. Zuko looked at him, and if he didn’t know better, seemed almost worried.  
“Oh… Oh no. Go to Aang and Katara, they might have bandages,” he said quickly. Then he focused his attention back on Jet, who had gotten to his feet and was now fumbling for the knife in the dark. Sokka thought about it for a moment. Zuko was a capable fighter and he was injured. Making his decision, he scrambled away and started running. 

“Katara! Aang! I need help,” he blurted, tumbling into the cabin. With two near identical yelps, both of them woke up. Katara noticed first.  
“Sokka, your arm! Where’s Zuko?” She stood up and immediately started looking over his injuries. Aang rubbed his eyes.  
“What’s going on?” he asked.  
“Long story short, Jet tried to kill Zuko, we started fighting, I got hurt, and now Zuko’s fighting him alone,” he said quickly. “I think he figured out that Zuko is a firebender.”  
“Oh no. Okay, Katara, can you help him with that? I’m going to go help Zuko. I don’t know how to fix injuries,” Aang said. Katara nodded, and he sprinted out and did his airbender thing of hopping from tree to tree like a frog. 

“Sokka, look at me. Look at me,” she said firmly. He did his best to focus his eyes. “You’re going to be fine. I just need to bandage your arm. Look at me.”  
“I am, Katara, spirits,” he retorted. She rummaged in her bag and he heard a quiet ripping noise. Within seconds she was back with a small blue rag. He was vaguely aware of a pressure on his arm and distant yelling before the moonlight disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, 20k hits. What the actual fuck? I have 44 comments to sort through right now, you guys are the best. i was not expecting this sort of response when I started out with this fic, and I couldn't be happier. That being said, this update is incredibly late because I am trash. I had a person in my inbox concerned that I had actually abandoned this story. I'm so incredibly sorry for making you guys wait this long bc y'all are the sweetest. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this action-heavy chapter. <3 you and drink water!


	11. Apologize to the Grim Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a fucking rollercoaster. That is all.
> 
> (P.S, short chapter but very emotional)

“I knew who you were from the moment I saw you, Fire Nation filth!” Jet spat as he dodged a fire blast. Zuko felt anger bubble up in his stomach, and the next blast of fire was noticeably hotter.  
“What have I ever done to you!” he shouted. “Why do you hate me?”  
“It’s people like you that killed my parents! It’s people like you that burnt my legs!” Jet leaped forward and made a daring jab with his knife. It was surprising that he’d made it this far with no bending, but Zuko recalled the way he easily took down the soldiers. This was not new for him.   
“Your parents? Your legs? I’m sorry about that, but that wasn’t me! Just let us go!” Zuko felt a touch of sympathy for him, but it quickly died when Jet snarled and lunged at him again.  
“The fire nation ruined my life and the lives of everyone who fights with me! Why should I let you go?” he said, tumbling to the ground as a blast of fire knocked him off balance. Zuko heard low muttering in the distance. Evidently some people were waking up. This had to end quickly or they’d never get out alive. As for Jet’s last statement… Zuko couldn’t help but feel slightly heartsick, even as he battled for his life. The freedom fighters had children under the age of ten in their ranks, and even the smallest of them had a tired look in their eyes. He felt a wash of sudden resentment towards what once had been his home. They had caused so much suffering. 

“I’m so sorry.”  
“Sorry isn’t enough!” Jet bared his teeth and threw the knife directly at Zuko’s head. 

The knife glistened in between them, spiraling in slow motion.

Zuko’s feet were rooted to the floor, why couldn’t he move?

Everything was going too fast.

The knife point was inches away from his temple.

I’m sorry.

Death?

A sharp gust of wind buffeted him in the back and the knife flew backwards, clattering to the ground. Jet looked at something over Zuko’s shoulder and his eyes went round, just as a second puff of air sent Jet himself flying backwards and Zuko entirely untouched.   
“Zuko, are you okay?” Aang ran up, his breath coming in short puffs. “That was too close.”  
“Yeah, I’m fine. We need to get out of here,” he said, still feeling slightly shaky. Jet clambered to his feet, eyes darting between the two of them. Evidently realizing that taking on the avatar in a fight alone would be a bad idea, he turned away and pursed his lips in a low  
birdcall. 

The muttering from below suddenly went silent, and dread made a pit in Zuko’s stomach. He exchanged a glance with Aang, and they both ran as fast as they could back to their cabin. Katara was tending to Sokka as best she could in the dim light, but he had apparently gone unconscious. So much blood.

“Katara, we need to go right now. Pack up the stuff,” Aang said urgently. “I’m going to go get Appa.” He disappeared into the trees quicker than seemed humanly possible. Zuko turned to Katara in the darkness.  
“Will he be alright?” He hated how shaky his voice sounded, but he couldn’t help it. Not when Sokka looked so pale and thin. She was busy packing up all their things, and didn’t look up. After a few seconds she replied, her voice carefully measured.  
“I… don’t know. He’s lost a lot of blood.” Zuko felt his heart stop. This was really bad.

There was a loud clattering noise, and he saw a small rock lying in the corner of the cabin that hadn’t been there before.   
“They’ve caught up to us,” he whispered. Then came the screaming. A volley of arrows. Fire blasts. More rocks. One intrepid youngster managed to ping him with a well-aimed dagger to the leg, but he held them off as best he could while Katara dragged Sokka out of the way. And then she was loading him onto Appa while Aang held them off with a swirling sphere of air, and he was clambering onto the flying mound of fur in a blind panic because there were too many kids. They took off into the air and Aang was shaking with the effort of keeping them all encased in the wind that acted as their only shield. 

Once they were finally far enough away, Aang slumped over and started crying. Tears of exhaustion, fear, or grief, Zuko wasn’t sure. All he knew was that it took a considerable amount of willpower not to join him. Searching for something to distract himself, he yanked the dagger out of his leg and used the blade to tear off a strip of his tunic. Thankfully it was a shallow cut. He bandaged it up as best he could. When he was done, he finally let himself think about Sokka. Zuko looked over at his prone form. The blood on his arm was soaking through the hastily made bandage, and it looked black in the night. His face was pale, and his hair was down and tangled about his shoulders. And despite all this, he was still somehow the most beautiful boy in the world. Zuko crawled over to him and laid the other boy’s head in his lap somewhat awkwardly, feeling Katara’s gaze on the back of his neck. He let his hands do what they had always wanted to, and brushed through Sokka’s hair tenderly. And only then, gazing down at Sokka’s perfect face, did he let the tears fall. 

A few hours passed before Agni awoke. Katara was dozing in the saddle with her mouth open and dried tears on her face. Zuko had fallen asleep with his hands in Sokka’s hair, slumped over with his face a bare inch away from the Water Tribe boy’s. Aang smiled fondly at them as he sat at the reins. The twelve year-old boy shook his head with the wisdom of someone far older and muttered to himself.  
“They’ll figure it out eventually.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HmMMmMm i smell Zuko character development. Before anyone asks, YEAH I threw in a lil cutesy fan service, WHAT ABOUT IT huh?


	12. Sokka's dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miyuki Miyuki Miyuki Miyuki

Sokka was running across the frozen lake with his father, breathless and laughing. Hakoda was falling behind in the race and feeling emboldened, Sokka turned around and made a silly face at him. Which was a mistake, because his knees buckled and he fell hard, the parka cushioning his fall. They were both laughing so hard now it was hard to breathe, and Hakoda dropped to his knees next to him and offered a hand. 

Sokka was yelling at the top of his lungs. He was crouching behind the fort he had hastily built, balls of snow piled up around his legs and fresh powder stuck in his hair. He stood up to lob one at Katara, but before he could wind up, he was hit in the face with a gigantic snowball. As revenge, he fired ten of his little ones at her and snickered as she stumbled back slightly. They heard a yell interrupt their game, and Gran-gran called them inside for dinner. It smelled like sea prunes and puddle fish, and they exchanged a glance before running inside the warm hut.

Sokka was out hunting, and off in the distance he saw a small turtle-seal slithering across the ice. He flicked his wrist expertly, and the boomerang went sailing towards its mark. It stunned the animal as planned, giving him time to catch up and strike it hard with his club. The turtle-seal crumpled, and he took his rope and wrapped it up. He aimed his feet back homeward and prepared himself for a long trek across the snowy plains. 

Sokka was dancing in a circle with his tribe, his hands clasped with a little boy on his right and a mother on his left. The circle of people all holding hands together and chanting rhythmically undulated inwards and outwards with the beat of the music. His feet found the familiar footsteps in the dance, and he followed along with everyone else as they spun together like a giant wheel. There was a swell in the song and taking the cue, he raised his arms and led everyone towards the center. They all touched wrists in the middle and fell back, singing all the while. The men found the lower harmonies and the women shrilled the main melody, a prayer to Tui and La. His heart pounded to the sound of the flying feet, and he closed his eyes to feel the vibrations.

Zuko watched as Sokka rolled around feverishly. They had landed in a mossy glade about two hours ago, and he still hadn’t woken up. Katara approached, her brow furrowed. Hesitantly, she reached out and peeled back the bloody bandage. Zuko nearly vomited when he saw what was underneath. Sokka’s arm was sliced through clear to the bone, and the skin around it was an unnatural shade of green. The veins down his arm were yellowed.  
“That bastard,” he muttered. “It was poisoned.” Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shaking slightly.   
“Aang. You need to see this,” she said, looking over her shoulder. He stood up from where he was lounging on the moss.   
“What is it? Oh,” Aang said as he drew nearer and saw the injury. His eyebrows drew together. “That’s bad, isn’t it?”   
“We’re gonna need to get help,” he replied, trying to ignore the tears battling the block in his chest. Below him, Sokka moaned and rocked back and forth listlessly.   
“Hmm… Zuko,” he whispered. Zuko leaned forward, his chest knotting even further.   
“Sokka, listen to me. I’m here. Please wake up,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “Wake up.”

Sokka was playing a game of hide and seek with Aang. He was walking through the forest, his eyes aimed chiefly upwards. The airbender loved to hide in the trees. He heard a quiet giggle behind him. He whipped around and listened closely. He saw a bush rustle slightly, and pounced. Behind the bush was empty air. He sighed and turned around, only to come face to face with a grinning Aang. He nodded in defeat and let the kid start counting for the new round. 

Sokka was watching Katara practice her waterbending. Her eyes were closed as she stood ankle deep in the sparkling stream. She made a bubble and raised it above her head, but huffed in frustration when it fell apart and drenched the hem of her skirt. She waved her arms and solidified her stance, and readied herself to try again.

Sokka was sitting next to Zuko in a quiet forest clearing. They were chatting happily, Zuko’s arm resting on his shoulder. Sokka made fun of him for a bit, and in response Zuko only blushed. An iridescent butterfly wafted through, and they both went still. He watched in anticipation as it fluttered closer, and finally landed on Zuko’s nose. The firebender’s eyes went wide and a small smile slipped across his sunlit face. He shifted slightly and the neckline of his red shirt fell open just enough to reveal a pale collarbone. But the tiny motion startled the butterfly, and it drifted off. The expression of disappointment on Zuko’s face saddened Sokka, so he leaned forward and kissed the spot where the butterfly had sat. Instead of getting angry or being shocked, the prince grinned mischievously and returned the kiss on Sokka’s lips. He deepened the kiss, feeling joyful in the sunny grass. Wait, why did his arm hurt so much?

Zuko watched as the Water Tribe boy slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the morning light. He fought the urge to jump in the air and yell for the sheer thrill of it. Sokka’s foggy blue eyes cleared, and then they met his own. His stomach gave a pleasant lurch.   
“Z-Zuko? Are you okay? Where are we?”   
“We’re safe, I swear,” Zuko choked. Sokka’s hand tightened around his own and- oh. He hadn’t dropped his hand when Sokka had regained consciousness. He quickly let go.  
“Katara… Aang,” he said hoarsely.   
“They’re finding a doctor. You’ll be okay. Stay awake for me, I mean it.” Much to Zuko’s surprise, Sokka’s hand gripped onto his own again and squeezed tightly.   
“You know Zuko, when you first joined us, you were a real asshole. But you’re nice now,” he said sleepily.   
“I just need to find uncle, Sokka,” Zuko said sadly. “I can’t stay forever. I need to bring Aang home in the end.” He looked down in shame.  
“Hmm. Bull… Bullshit,” Sokka replied. His eyes were halfway closed.  
“What? What do you mean?”   
“You need friends, us. Not to go back to… to where they did your face. They were mean over there…” he trailed off. For the first time, Zuko considered this. He wanted to go home… didn’t he? Back to the palace where Ozai had burned him, where Azula had lied so many times, where he had been instructed to leave forever in pursuit of an impossible goal. 

“And anyway, I can’t let you go back there. Who would I make fun of, Zuko?” he said half-deliriously, his eyes starting to fog over again.  
“Sokka! Sokka, stay awake,” Zuko interjected worriedly. The grip on his hand tightened again, and the boy smiled slackly.  
“Zuko, if you stay, I’ll show you how to throw. My boomerang. You… You’re too cute, anyway. If you go back to the Fire Nation, you’d be a jerk again,” he muttered dopily. Zuko’s heart skipped a beat, and he wondered for the first time if Sokka might…  
“I- Okay. I promise,” he said, fighting back tears.  
“You promise to stay?”  
“I promise.” Sokka smiled at this.  
“I knew you were secretly nice under all that sour face,” Sokka said happily. Zuko shook his head, fighting back a grin.  
“You’re delirious, Sokka,” he said.  
“Only slightly.” He blinked furiously, trying to stay awake. A gust of air and the growling of a gigantic six-legged beast announced the arrival of a doctor, and Zuko turned around to greet Aang and Katara.

“You’re finally here, thank Agni. He’s awake, but not entirely here,” he explained, dropping Sokka’s hand. Katara leapt off of Appa and rushed to Sokka’s side while Aang helped an older woman down. For some unfathomable reason, she had a cat in her medicine bag.   
“Sokka, you’re awake! Don’t worry, we brought a doctor. She’s a little eccentric, but she’ll be able to help,” Katara said breathlessly. She was cut off by a loud humming noise.  
“Hold Miyuki for me. Let me see him,” the woman said. Aang cooed at the fluffy cat in his arms, and thus unburdened, the lady approached with her satchel full of bottles and various medical instruments. Humming, she knelt down by Sokka and performed an examination. She forced his eyelids open and looked at the underside of them, she checked his pulse, and drummed her fingers lightly in the center of his chest. After what seemed like forever, she lifted his arm and examined the wound closely. Seemingly coming to a decision, she grabbed a small needle out of the bag and jabbed it into his arm. A surprisingly small amount of blood resulted, and she swiped at it with her finger. She smelled it, and then to everyone’s horror, licked her finger as if to taste it. 

“Ah. I see the problem here,” she said, and spat in the grass. “This poison, however, is surprisingly easy to treat. I believe I have the proper medicine with me here.” She rummaged in the bag and pulled out a bottle with a blue liquid inside.   
“Drink it,” she ordered. Sokka eyed her suspiciously, but took a sip. “All of it!” she reprimanded. He quickly downed the whole bottle.  
“It tastes weird,” he complained.  
“And it’ll save your life. In about two hours you’ll vomit quite a lot, and then you’ll feel better. For now, sleep. And the rest of you, make sure you clean and bandage up the cut so it doesn’t get infected. He’s young and healthy, so as long as you don’t mess things up too bad he should be fine,” she instructed.   
“Thank you ma’am, you’ve been a great help,” Aang said cheerily. Miyuki had fallen asleep in his arms, but it didn’t look like he’d noticed yet. “Do you want a ride back?”  
“The walk will only take a few hours, and I need the fresh air. And Miyuki needs the exercise. She’s getting lazy,” she replied, and grabbed the cat.  
“Alright. Have a nice day,” Katara said, handing her some coins. The old woman smiled and left with her cat trailing lazily behind her.   
“She was… interesting,” Zuko said thoughtfully. Sokka rubbed his eyes and went back to sleep, smiling contentedly. 

“Ah man! Miyuki shed all over me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the dance I described in the beginning of this chapter is the Hora, a traditional Jewish dance we do at celebrations. I'm not sure I really need to say anymore about the chapter, but you can thank one of my lovely commenters for convincing me to poison the blade >:3 
> 
> BY THE WAY, if anyone would be interested in joining a discord server I made, here's the link: https://discord.gg/  
> There's a limit on how many people can join. We'll discuss random shit there and you can also influence my future decisions as to how this fic goes if you want.


	13. What happened to you, boy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slow-paced character-driven chapter. Aang and Katara hear a vague summary of who Azula is.

After a prodigious bout of vomiting, Sokka had finally drifted off to sleep. Zuko still hadn’t left his side and was sitting in deep thought. Katara sighed. Resigning herself to the conversation ahead, she walked over to Zuko and crossed her legs.  
“Zuko,” she said quietly. He started, and a small spider-fly fell off his shoulder.   
“Oh, hi. Katara.” The little involuntary scoot away from Sokka’s side didn’t escape her notice.   
“I think we need to talk. What exactly are your goals right now?” she asked gently. There wasn’t any point in scaring him. Zuko took a deep breath and furrowed his brow.  
“I thought I knew… but now I’m not so sure. The only thing I’m sure of is that I need to find Uncle again,” he said.   
“Does your uncle know you’re even alive, Zuko? For all he knows, you could have died in that fire temple. More importantly, what is your uncle like?” She watched a strange expression pass over his face.  
“He… probably thinks I’m dead. Oh no. Katara, we have to find him. He’s taken care of me all these years,” he said frantically. “He’s not going to hurt you, I swear. He’s actually a lot like all of you, to be honest. Please, I… please.”   
“Zuko, calm down. We’ll find him. He sounds lovely. I guess what I really wanted to ask was… are you still planning on going back to the Fire Nation?” Katara resisted the urge to stand up and start pacing. Instead she picked up a leaf and examined the tiny veins running through the wide expanse of green. There was a pause.

“I mean, I don’t exactly know. I made Sokka a promise. And I’m starting to think that maybe that promise, and that honor, is more important than the honor my father says I lost,” Zuko confessed. “But I’m not useful to you, and none of you would ever want someone like me around.”  
“I won’t tell you what to do, or what to believe. What I will say is this: Your father burned and banished you, and you don’t deserve that. No one does. Not to mention the fact that I think all of us would very much prefer it if you stopped chasing us,” she said, smiling slightly. “As for usefulness, friendship isn’t measured like that. All of us have taken a liking to you… particularly Sokka.” She concealed her amusement when his eyes widened in response. Tact, she reminded herself. 

“You’re right.” Zuko said abruptly. He absentmindedly ran his hand over his cropped hair, grown out to the stage of numerous miniature spikes that refused to lie flat.   
“Wait, so, you’ll stay?”   
“I mean. Yeah. I guess so,” he muttered. Katara pumped a fist in the air and gave a quiet cheer. Zuko gave her a shy smile. She then arranged her features into an expression of utmost severity.  
“Now that’s out of the way, what are your intentions with my brother?” She did her best to keep from laughing as he spluttered.  
“I- I- what? What do you mean? I don’t- he doesn’t- what?” His face paled, and then turned a bright pink.   
“Okay, yeah. Experiment was a success,” she said, amusement coloring her voice.   
“Experiment?” he said in disbelief. Without another word, she stood up and left him sitting there in the grass completely dumbfounded. 

Aang was waiting for her, and he was doubled over in laughter. Evidently he had overheard the conversation from his perch on Appa’s back. Katara sat beside him, grinning.   
“Well, Zuko’s staying.”  
“I knew he would. Ever since the beginning,” he said assuredly. She felt a stirring of fondness for him.  
“I’m not going to pretend like I knew, but I think Zuko is happy here. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I think he’s especially taken a liking to Sokka,” she murmured. While perhaps not quite polite, gossip was a common pastime among the younger people of her tribe.   
“Neither of them are as sneaky as they think they are,” he observed. She followed his gaze and had to take several deep breaths to avoid bursting out into a wildly inappropriate peal of laughter. Zuko was kneeling next to Sokka in the moss and was performing what looked like some sort of childish medical examination, his brow furrowed in worry.   
“He’s feeling Sokka’s forehead like my gran-gran used to,” she noted with amusement. “Zuko’s a mother arctic-hen!” Aang crossed his legs and pat Appa lovingly. He received a low grumble in response.  
“Zuko! He’s okay, don’t worry!” he called. Zuko stood up and walked over to where they were sitting. He climbed onto Appa’s back with all the grace of a lanky teenager with visual impairment, and sat beside them.

“Hi,” he said, somewhat breathlessly. “I was just making sure Sokka wasn’t running a fever.”   
“Hmm. You were fussing,” she teased. Zuko huffed. Aang piped up.   
“Zuko, it’s okay to worry about your friends.” As he said this, he glanced at Katara with an unreadable expression. When she met his gaze curiously, he quickly ducked his head.   
“You guys consider me your- friend?” Zuko said softly, a curious look on his face. Katara felt something in her chest twist. A leaf drifted down on the wind.   
“Haven’t you ever had friends before?” she asked quietly. The prince thought for a moment.  
“Not really. Azula had friends, and sometimes they got me to play with them. That was it, pretty much,” he said thoughtfully. Azula. Why did that name sound familiar?  
“Azula? Who’s that?” she said, fidgeting with one of her braids. The wind creaked in the space between them.   
“My sister,” he said shortly. His hand started tapping rapidly against his leg. Katara took the cue and stopped talking. Aang, however, did not.  
“A sister! Zuko, you never told us about a sister! How old is she? Is she nice like you?” He bounced excitedly, a huge grin on his face. Zuko flinched slightly.   
“She, um. She’s younger than me, I think about fourteen by now. A much better firebender than me, really,” he muttered, fidgeting uncomfortably. Aang’s smile faded slightly.  
“Is she nice, though?”   
“Well, I never really thought of her as nice, but I guess I always thought she acted the way little sisters were supposed to. Until I met you guys, that is. Now I’m not so sure,” he said hesitantly. Katara’s curiosity was piqued.  
“What is she like? She’s not evil, right?” She was achingly curious. Up until now, Zuko had been silent when it came to his family. As if he was interested too, Appa shifted slightly underneath them, and Zuko had to quickly balance himself to avoid falling over. 

“She was...the playful type. She would invite me to play games, but I would always get hurt at the end. When she was younger, we were best friends. But when she showed firebending ability, she started spending more and more time with our father, and her games would get crueler. One time she pushed me off the roof, actually,” he confessed, chuckling slightly at his anecdote. Katara’s stomach turned. Why the hell was he laughing?   
“Okay. So, evil,” Aang said with a sigh. His brow was furrowed, but he didn’t seem that surprised. Perhaps in growing up without proper siblings he had legitimately no idea what the norm was. Or he was hiding his true feelings. Katara couldn’t tell.   
“Evil? No! Azula is a firebending prodigy, better than I could ever hope to be. She’s smart and powerful. Father loves her. Everyone does,” he said, studying his feet. There was silence for a moment, and she was uncomfortably aware of the intense sun at her back. Fire.  
“Power doesn’t indicate a strong moral compass,” she said eventually. The prince looked at her as if she had introduced a totally new concept.   
“She- she’s better than me. I was the idiot, and I would always fall for her lies, every time. I was the useless one. What do you mean?” Zuko looked at her resolutely, but with confusion in his eyes. She felt no less confused. What was he talking about? From beside her, Aang gasped.  
“Wait! Now I know why I recognize her name! Azula always lies! That’s what you said at the Fire Temple!” he exclaimed. A flash of recognition made the hairs on the backs of her arms stand up. Who was this Azula to make him so terrified? What did she do? Zuko’s eyes dilated, and he trembled slightly. He took a deep breath.  
“I… Can I go now? I think I need to go check. Uh. My bag,” he said, gripping his legs tightly. Katara sighed. So close to a breakthrough.  
“By all means, Zuko. Check on my brother while you’re at it.”  
“Okay,” he said gratefully, jumping off the bison. She turned to Aang with a despairing sigh.  
“What happened to him?” she said, her throat feeling tight. He looked at her sadly.  
“Nothing good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am literally human trash. It's been forever since the last update and this chapter is mediocre at best. Feel free to roast me in the comments. But tbh I'll be happy with that, bc comments fuel my motivation and give me free serotonin. Love you guys and drink water <3


	14. Audience Poll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A poll from you guys!

A/N: Okay, so I've reached something of a crossroads with my ideas for this story, and I want your feedback.  
Would you want this story to take more of an angsty turn, or is that not what you signed up for?  
Because I'm thinking of a plot point that might break some y'alls hearts and mine, but would add a LOT of content and interesting character dynamics.  
I won't be specific, but all I can say is that I'm not planning on it involving death. 

So I want you guys to let me know in the comments: Would you prefer the fluffy hurt/comfort type stuff I've been writing with Zuko+Gaang friendship, trauma unpacking, and slow burn Zukka, or would y'all be interested in a whole lotta angst for the sake of hella interesting character development and perhaps a bit more realism? 

And because I'm not evil and I know that opening up a fic just to see an A/N literally is the worst thing ever, I promise I'll post a proper update VERY soon, maybe with some cutesy fan service Zukka feels just to make up for the inconvenience.  
As I said before, let me know in the comments and thank you all for being so incredibly patient with me.

OKAY! After 71 COMMENTS to scroll through, it seems the people have spoken. And within an incredibly short period of time. Wow, I was not expecting to wake up to that. It seems the majority of you guys are here for the fluffier stuff, and most of the people wanting angst didn't really have a good argument for why I should include it. There was one comment that somehow predicted what I was thinking and warned me against doing it because it was easy to fall into cliches, and that really stuck with me. In conclusion, I think I'm going to continue with what I've been doing so far. For all you guys who want angst, maybe my next fic will be heart-wrenching. Who knows? There's certainly plenty of sad material to work with. Anyway, thank you guys for everything. <3 Oh, and those of you who replied to the question in the notes, thank you for your feedback as well! I've decided to keep the rating the same, and if things get a lil spicy in the future, a tasteful fade to black never fails. This way we get a good compromise between keeping it relatively PG and Zukka development. Love you all and drink water <333

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I'm considering possible *ahem* mature-ish scenes later on in Zuko and Sokka's relationship, but it's purely spitballing. I would change the rating of course, and there wouldn't be anything too explicit. If anyone wants to see that or really DOESN'T want to see that, let me know as well. If you're indifferent, I want to warn you that if I am trash at writing romance, I will probably be literally ten times worse with that kind of stuff. I am very awkward and would probably have a hard time with those kinds of scenes, but I can stomach it in the interest of good character development. If that's something you think would be good for this fic, let me know!


	15. Congrats on Getting Stabbed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of that lovey dovey zukka bonding. ya love to see it

Everything was green and blurry, and his head hurt like hell. Green. Were the spirit lights dancing in the sky again? That was the only time anyone ever saw that rare color. He blinked furiously, every bat of his eyelashes sending throbbing pains through his skull again. After a few seconds, his vision cleared and he was able to see his surroundings. 

And then all his memories came flashing back at once. Hmm. He tried wiggling his arm experimentally and it felt oddly numb and heavy. Well, better sit up, he thought. He shifted his weight and attempted to sit, but the pain that reverberated around his skull at even that small motion was too much. Ugh.  
“Sokka’s awake!” It sounded like Aang. And it was much too loud. He closed his eyes again and smiled. The three of them soon arrived at his side, and he tuned out most of what was going on.  
“How do you feel, Socks?”  
“Does your arm still hurt? Did the medicine work?”  
“I’m, uh, happy you’re awake now.” This last voice snapped him out of it. Zuko. And then a very embarrassing memory was surfacing, and he violently suppressed it.  
“Guys, guys,” he interrupted. “I’ve got a headache. Aang and Katara, you guys are too loud.”  
“What about Zuko?” Katara said, raising an eyebrow. Zuko was standing a few feet away with his arms dangling awkwardly at his sides. He risked a quick glance at him to assess the situation. His heart sped up dramatically, and he gritted his teeth.

“Zuko’s quieter than you guys. He’s fine,” Sokka said. A miniscule smirk passed over his sister’s face for a second. Oh no. What was she planning?  
“Well, in that case, Aang and I will leave you two alone,” she said sweetly. “Right?” Aang nodded, looking unsure. Before he could protest, the two of them were already walking away. He forced himself to deal with the situation at hand.   
“So, um,” he mumbled, smiling weakly at the firebender who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. “How’ve you been?”   
“What kind of question is that? Everyone’s been fussing over you for the past day. I’m bored. Congrats on getting stabbed,” Zuko spat. Sokka searched his face for something. For what, he couldn’t say. But he found it behind those sun-colored eyes.   
“Mm. You should be congratulating Mister freedom fighter. He did all the work,” he said lazily. He didn’t miss the upwards twitch of Zuko’s lips, and mentally patted himself on the back.   
Sokka blinked. How long had he been staring at Zuko’s lips? Apparently far too long, because when he shifted his gaze, the firebender’s countenance was similar to that of someone who had been locked in a sauna for several hours, then slapped across the face rather hard. He shook his head quickly and tried to play it off.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, I spaced out. This medicine made me realllllly loopy,” he slurred, definitely not panicking at all. Zuko cleared his throat.  
“Oh, uh, yeah. Totally understandable. I guess I just thought…” he said, trailing off. Don’t focus on his lovely rasp of a voice, focus on what he’s saying, Sokka reminded himself.   
“Well, anyway- hmm. I should probably get up now,” he said, and slowly sat up on his cushiony moss. “Now that my head is feeling better and all.” Zuko nodded, some of the flush leaving his cheeks.   
“Oh! Your bandages, it’s time to change them. Should I get Katara?” Zuko shifted his feet as if to get ready to run away. On an impulse, Sokka shook his head.   
“No, I don’t need her help. I’ll take care of the bandages,” he replied, and started feeling at the fabric around his arm. He winced as his fingers passed over a sore spot. The prince sat down and looked at him with interest. 

Sokka started peeling back the cloth, and almost immediately his breath hitched with the pain. Be a warrior, he reminded himself. He proceeded with perhaps a bit more care, and watched as the filmy layers fell back. The last layer had a greenish hue to it, and he paused before yanking it back. From beside him there came a faint noise of disgust, and he understood the sentiment. There was a thick verdant fluid stuck to the fabric, and there was a bit of it still trickling from the wound. It looked mostly healed with the poison extracted, but it was still swollen and slightly yellowed. He took a deep breath.   
“Okay. This is a good thing, because all the gunk is coming out,” he said, though whether he was reassuring himself or Zuko was up in the air. He chanced a quick look at his companion. If Zuko had been red before, he looked a rather alarming shade of grey now. There were two spots of crimson high on his cheeks though, and his yellow eyes glinted.  
“That bastard,” he breathed. “I’m getting Katara.” With that, the firebender straightened up, turned around in a militaristic fashion, and marched over to where Aang and Katara were sitting together huddled in conversation. He watched as Zuko muttered something quickly in his sister’s ear, and she stood up quickly. They headed over to where he was sitting.

“Sokka, next time wait for me so I can take your bandages off properly,” she said reproachfully as she kneeled down by his arm. Zuko sat cross-legged, looking oddly like…a pile of seaweed noodles? All long limbs and graceless tumbling. It was oddly endearing. He concealed a smile.   
“Yes, mother,” he replied sarcastically. Katara’s expression broke for a half second before her eyes shuttered off and her lips tightened. Her hand flew up to her necklace. “I’m- Katara, I’m sorry.”  
“It’s fine,” she said, wavering slightly. Zuko raised his singular eyebrow. Sokka didn’t bother clarifying, and the prince asked no questions. He proffered his arm to her, and watched as she inspected the wound. Her expression betrayed no emotion of any kind. She bent water from her pouch and ran it over the wound, letting it cleanse the area. She did the same with the bandage. When she was done, the glob of water looked slimy and strange. Katara tossed it away with a flick of her wrist, and it splashed against a tree.   
“Now for disinfection,” she said, turning meaningfully towards Zuko. He frowned.   
“What?”   
“She means light a fire so she can boil water,” Sokka explained. Katara rolled her eyes.   
“No, Sokka. That’s an unnecessary step. I collect water in a pot, Zuko heats it with his hands until it’s boiling. That’s far quicker. Then I can sterilize the bandages,” she explained, taking out the large bowl that they used for cooking. Zuko looked uncertain for a second, but took the bowl in his hands. Katara bent more water into it, and he started to focus. After a few seconds, there was a noticeable heat radiating from the bowl. And within two minutes, the water was at a healthy boil. She dropped the bandages in rather gingerly.  
“After fifteen minutes, take them out and dry them. Back in the village gran-gran showed me how to do these things,” she told Zuko. He nodded mutely. “I’m gonna go back to Aang now.”  
“Oogies,” Sokka muttered, trying to get her to smile.   
“Oogies yourself!” she retorted. He gaped at her. Zuko looked thoroughly confused.   
“What do you mean?” Sokka said as she turned to go. With a triumphant grin, she spun on her heel and called out.  
“Ask mother hen here, why dontcha!” Then she skipped away, leaving two frozen boys in her wake. 

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, but Sokka soon got bored. He glanced at his companion who was staring at the bubbling pot like it held the answer to some vast question, and decided to irritate him.  
“What are you doing, jerkbender?” A slight twitch in Zuko’s cheek was the only sign he gave of annoyance.  
“Trying to focus. Shut up,” he said coolly. Sokka smiled.   
“Hmm. Very commanding, aren’t we?”   
“Agni’s sake, would you be quiet!” Zuko groaned in frustration. “I need to focus.”  
“You don’t seem very mother hen-like,” Sokka mused. Zuko looked up and met his eyes seriously. His stomach reacted violently.  
“Yeah,” he said gravely. “I have no idea why she said that.” Then he turned his gaze back to the water, unknowingly leaving Water Tribe warrior extraordinaire incredibly flustered. 

After about ten minutes of semi-comfortable silence, Zuko dipped his hands into the boiling water and pulled the bandages out, seemingly not feeling any sort of pain. Sokka watched curiously as he took the fabric and squeezed it. With a hiss, a gigantic puff of steam left his grasp and covered the area with a warm sort of fog. It left him coughing. Zuko waved away the vapor and Sokka could now see that the bandages were totally clean and dry.   
“Wow. That’s so epic,” he said, not even bothering to hide his admiration. What? It was super cool!   
“The cloth is warm, but not hot. I’ll help you with it, since your sister isn’t here and you can hardly wrap these yourself,” Zuko said quietly. He nodded as a way of agreement, and extended his arm a bit in silent submission. With a surprisingly gentle touch, Zuko held his arm, being careful to avoid the wound. The prince silently moved closer to get better reach, and Sokka could feel the radiating warmth like a warm blanket in the winter.  
“Mmm. You’re warm,” he said sleepily. Zuko rolled his eyes.  
“Firebender. I run hot,” he replied, rolling the filmy white cloth around the clean gash carefully.   
“You sure do,” Sokka muttered, trying not to implode. The proximity was a bit much and he was having trouble breathing. Zuko was just so inexplicably pretty, and he made Sokka’s stomach convulse in an odd way. He still hadn’t given too much thought to these feelings, and he wasn’t sure quite how to classify them, but if it was what he thought this feeling was, he was the dumbest son of a bitch to ever exist.   
“Alright, all done,” Zuko said, standing up. Sokka shivered at the sudden loss of warmth.   
“Thank you Zuko. I mean it.” He looked into the prince’s eyes earnestly but found nothing but some strange mixture of panic and an unidentifiable emotion there.   
“If you weren’t such an annoying fucker, I’d say any time,” Zuko replied gently. Well. There was something at least, wasn’t there? Sokka grinned and finally got to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be honest, was not expecting the absolute FLOOD of comments on that A/N. Anyway, here's a proper chapter. Comments fuel my will to live and motivate me to write!! Love you guys and drink water!!!!!!


	16. Washi and Sonam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iroh search and rescue mission?

Aang tossed a couple watermelons into Appa’s mouth with his bending. The bison munched happily on the midmorning snack and nuzzled into him, almost knocking him over. Aang laughed.  
“I love you too, buddy,” he said, closing his eyes. The warmth of the fur was like the best kind of hug. And a pang struck his heart, like it had everyday since he’d found out what he’d lost. The smell of bison took him back to the training yards, and the low rumble emanating from massive lungs filled his head with laughing children in monk robes and slow days with Gyatso at the Pai Sho table. He let a single tear run down his cheek, and breathed deeply, imagining a comforting hand on his shoulder. It will be alright. He smiled and stepped away, ritual complete.   
“Aang! Sokka’s up and feeling a lot better. Zuko helped him with his bandages,” Katara said, jogging over. His breath caught like it did every time he looked at her.   
“That’s great! Katara, how have you been? No one’s asked you yet if you’re okay,” he told her. She sighed.  
“Well, I won’t pretend like it hasn’t been difficult. But I’ll be okay,” she said. She looked weary.   
“How about you rest for a bit? I’ll go hang out with Sokka and Zuko,” he suggested. Katara cracked a smile and nodded.  
“I think that would be great. You’re a good friend,” she said warmly, laying a hand on his shoulder. There was a twig in her hair, and on impulse he plucked it out.   
“Thanks, Katara. You too,” he replied, grinning. 

He approached the two older boys, who were currently engaged in a heated discussion. Sokka was pacing back and forth, despite the fact that he was the injured one of the two.   
“What the hell does ‘oogies’ even mean? Why do you keep insisting that the avatar and your sister have it?” Zuko pried.   
“It’s when they get all gross and lovey-dovey,” Sokka explained. The prince nodded thoughtfully.   
“It’s a strange term, but I suppose the meaning is clear enough. Oh, hi,” Zuko said, spotting him walking up. He grinned and waved.  
“Hey Sokka! Hey Zuko! Do you guys want to see this super cool marble trick?” he suggested, fishing some out of his pocket. They glanced at each other.  
“You know what, why not. Go on,” Zuko said. Aang sprung into action, grinning as he tossed the smooth stones into the air and wiggled his fingers strategically. The marbles spun around in a circle at alarming speeds. He looked up and saw Zuko peering intently at them, and Sokka staring at Zuko. Ridiculous, he thought fondly. They reminded him of two boys he had known at the air temple, Washi and Sonam. The marbles faltered in their rhythm slightly, and he ended the trick.   
“So cool, right?” he exclaimed, bouncing on his toes. Zuko tilted his head while Sokka applauded obligingly.   
“That’s really interesting, but I don’t see how it’s useful,” the firebender muttered.   
“Oh, it’s not useful at all, but it’s really fun,” Aang told him. “Anyway, you two remind me of a couple of boys I used to know at the air temples. Washi and Sonam.” Zuko was still rather confused and didn’t reply, but Sokka perked up. He didn’t talk much about the air temples, so Sokka was probably really curious.   
“Washi and Sonam? Those are cool names. What were they like?” he asked, smoothing a hand over the shaved side of his wolf tail. Aang smiled and let his mind wander back. He closed his eyes. 

“Sonam was a bit like Zuko, I guess. He seemed prickly from the outside, but he loved deeply. Washi was very playful, but just gentle enough, to appeal to Sonam. They were best friends and would spend almost all their time together. They teased each other a lot, but it was all in good fun. They were actually just a bit younger than you two are,” Aang added, opening his eyes. Sokka was listening intently, and even Zuko was showing some interest. He closed his eyes again.   
“Anyway, one day I watched Sonam cross the meditation yard with a bundle of ogchu and blue poppies. They were really pretty flowers, and hard to get, but he refused to answer anyone’s questions about where they came from or why he needed them. Three hours later at the dining hall, Washi showed up with an ogchu flower tucked behind his ear, and they sat together. I never did get the chance to quiz him about it,” Aang concluded with a sigh. He peeked at his audience. Sokka’s eyes were wide and his mouth agape. Zuko seemed to have caught on better to what he was implying, and he was gazing rather dopily at Sokka’s right ear. Aang could picture what he was imagining clear as day, and he shook his head, opening his eyes fully.   
“That was a nice story, but I don’t really get what it has to do with us,” Sokka said, scratching his nose. Zuko glanced at Aang and there was silent pleading in his eyes.   
“All right. You’ll get it sooner or later, Socks. Anyway, we all need to sit down and plan out how we’re going to find Zuko’s uncle,” Aang said, suddenly remembering their most pressing problem. The prince nodded gratefully. 

“Okay, so let's think about this logically. The first place your Uncle would have to go is the Fire Nation, because the fire sages were on the boat. The only question is whether he stayed there or went back to try and find you, Zuko,” Sokka mused, plopping onto the grass. Aang followed suit, and after a moment's hesitation, Zuko sat next to him.   
“Well… knowing Uncle, I think he would have gone back to the island to try and find me,” Zuko said decisively. Sokka nodded thoughtfully, and closed his eyes. His brow furrowed, almost like he was trying to do calculations in his head.   
“It’s been a few days,” he muttered. “Appa is faster than the boat is. My guess is that if we go back to the island...we might find your uncle somewhere in that region. But we’d have to hurry, because if we don’t find him there, it’s anyone’s guess as to where he might go next.” Sokka opened his eyes.   
“We need to go now, then!” Zuko exclaimed, leaping to his feet. Aang hesitated. Katara was supposed to be resting, and he didn’t want to disturb her. But he saw the hopeful expression on the face of the boy who had come so far, and he made his choice.   
He stood up and dashed over to where Katara was sitting. Her eyes were closed, and he took a moment to take in the peace on her face before reaching out to touch her shoulder.   
“Katara,” he whispered. Her eyes flew open in a startled flash of blue. “We all need to get on Appa now. We have a mission.”   
“What...how long was I asleep?” she said, her gaze locked on his. His stomach fluttered a little bit.   
“Not nearly long enough. Sleep on Appa, okay?” He offered his hand and she took it, blinking sleepily in the dappled sunlight. He helped her onto Appa as gently as he could, and she settled back into the warm saddle with a yawn. Her hair spilled out onto her face as she closed her eyes again. She didn’t bother to fix it. She must be really tired, he decided. He resolved to not disturb her any further. 

“Ahem,” Sokka said. He turned around. Zuko and Sokka were already sitting in the saddle. “If we could get going now, that would be great.”  
“Uh, yeah. Appa, buddy! Yip yip!” he stammered. With an obliging grunt, Appa flapped his tail and took to the air. His six legs waggled around happily. 

After about a few hours in, someone made a sudden choked noise. Aang whipped around to see Sokka staring at him in horror from the back.   
“You-you were implying that…” he trailed off. His cheeks were a deep maroon. Confused, Aang stared at him for a couple seconds. A wisp of cloud threaded between the prince and the peasant.  
“What?” he asked.   
“Washi and- and never mind. Never mind, it’s not important.” Sokka waved his hand somewhat aimlessly, determinedly avoiding making eye contact with anyone.   
“How about you steer for a while?” Aang suggested. The Water Tribe boy nodded eagerly and clambered gracelessly up to where he was sitting. He passed Sokka the reins and hopped back into the saddle landing neatly next to Zuko, who flinched slightly and shot him a glare.   
“Hey Zuko,” he said quietly, not wanting to wake Katara.   
“Yeah?” Zuko’s foot was tapping at an alarming speed.  
“What are you nervous about?” he asked. Because clearly Zuko was anxious about something. Zuko opened his mouth, clearly about to deny his assertion, but paused. And then sighed.   
“I’m about to see my Uncle again, and I’ve...changed. I know he probably won’t hurt me. But I don’t know how he will react, either.” Zuko glanced at the back of Sokka’s head and lowered his voice even further. “And I’m almost certain that Sokka hates me.”  
“What? No way. Sokka doesn’t hate you. I know him, and he for sure does not hate you at all. With your Uncle, all I can promise is that we’ll keep you safe.” Aang looked very seriously into Zuko’s eyes, and received a firm nod. 

That evening, Appa was starting to tire and so were they. It was a very welcome sound indeed when a yell came from the front.  
“There it is!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter from Aang's perspective? Yes. Because that little boy had so much fucking trauma and he needs more of the spotlight. This is a Zukka fic, yes, but it's primarily a character-driven deep dive into the gaang. It's sad, yeah, but it would feel disingenuous to write him any other way. Anyway, leave comments because they give me the will to live, and drink some fucking water you heathen. Love you guys!
> 
> WAIT I just had an idea I am personally in love with the nonbinary Aang headcanon what if I put that in here???? We could have an arc for him!! Don't make all the comments about this tho please its just a thought-


	17. Metal wounds on the tossing waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communication, thank fuck.

Below them on the water was a solitary ship. The dark metal stood out like a scar on the tossing waves below, and Zuko’s stomach lurched. He recognized that flag. This was, without a doubt, his ship. Aang looked at him, waiting for confirmation. Zuko swallowed.  
“That’s the one,” he muttered. Sokka whooped and Katara sat bolt upright, blinking furiously. Her hair was incredibly messy, but the dark circles under her eyes were gone.  
“Sokka? Where am I?” She rubbed her eyes and glanced around.  
“Mission. We’re about to meet Zuko’s uncle. You’ve been asleep for a while,” Sokka replied. Zuko was barely listening, his eyes fixated on the water below. A small hand touched his own, and he looked down to see Aang there with compassion in his large grey eyes. It was oddly comforting.  
“You’ll do great, Zuko. I know you will,” Aang said softly. He managed to nod numbly in some semblance of a reply, gripping the child’s hand in his own. Zuko felt kind of silly, but he couldn’t bring himself to care much as Appa started drifting downwards. He squeezed his eyes shut.

With a soft bump, they landed. Zuko opened his eyes. They were on the deck of the ship. There were several men standing there in an anticipatory position. It looked like they had been told to stand down but were itching for a fight. When they saw him, however, there were murmurs of surprise and their stances relaxed somewhat. His attention was elsewhere, though. There was a short man with a long grey beard and shining eyes standing by the railing. Uncle. He leapt off of Appa, landing with a metallic thud.  
“Prince Zuko. You’re alive,” he said, relief and joy visible in his lined face. Uncle strode forward and wrapped him in a warm hug. Zuko stood stiffly for a few seconds, unsure how to react. Then he hesitantly hugged back, swallowing tears. He let his eyes close. This must be what home felt like. Warm and safe. Uncle pulled back and placed his hands on Zuko’s shoulders.  
“Not only are you alive, my nephew, but it appears that you have made some new friends,” he said with a smile. Zuko followed his gaze. Aang, Katara, and Sokka were all standing together somewhat awkwardly.  
“I suppose you could say that…” Zuko replied, feeling the first pinpricks of anxiety crawl over his skin. He shuddered instinctually. “Uncle, I have something to tell you.”  
“Invite your friends over here. I can make tea and we can all have a discussion. Does that sound good to you?” he suggested. Zuko nodded. “Excellent. Men! Take good care of this young man’s bison. You three, follow me. I think we have some things we all need to discuss.” He led them down the stairs into a warmly lit room. Zuko had been here many times before, usually when he was upset or angry. It was his favorite room on the ship.  
“By all means, take a seat. I will be with you in just a minute,” Uncle said, busying himself with the teapot. They settled on the scarlet cushions that were lovingly arranged around a low wooden table and sat in silence. 

After a few minutes, Uncle set a steaming pot and five delicate cups on the table and sat down himself, folding his hands.  
“Now that we have tea, we can have a proper conversation,” he said with a smile. The familiar scent of jasmine was like a warm blanket, and Zuko took a moment to bask in it. Home.  
“This is great, sir!” Aang exclaimed, setting his cup down. Uncle nodded proudly, refilling Aang’s cup.  
“It’s my nephew’s favorite. And you can just call me Uncle, or Iroh if you prefer,” he replied warmly. “I must say, I am quite surprised that you have managed to befriend Prince Zuko.”  
“It wasn’t by choice,” Zuko said heatedly. “Well… not originally, anyway.” He was suddenly conscious of every eye in the room turned towards him. He swallowed, his throat feeling suddenly scratchy and dry. He took a quick gulp of tea, and his face flamed up. Sokka coughed quietly.  
“I’m sure it’s quite a story,” Uncle said, his voice calm and understanding. Zuko took a deep breath.  
“Um. Yeah. Well, we were at the temple, and our boat left before I could get on,” he began. Uncle nodded, his brows furrowing.  
“I’m sorry about that. The fire sages were in a panic and the island was flowing with melted rock. My command of the situation was temporarily stripped away.”  
“It’s fine, I understand. Well, I didn’t have a way off the island, and they… offered to help me. I’m not sure why. I agreed to stay with them until I found you, because I had no other choice. Then a few things- uh, happened, and Sokka was delirious, and he somehow managed to convince me to…” Zuko paused, scanning his uncle’s face. Then he screwed his eyes shut and said as fast as he could,  
“To stay with their group and stop hunting the Avatar.” There was silence for a few seconds, and he opened one eye just slightly to get a gauge on the situation. Uncle looked shocked, and then a huge grin spread across his face. Zuko opened both eyes, heart fluttering like a butterfly fish.  
“Zuko! This is excellent!” There were audible sighs of relief from across the table, but all Zuko could do was gape.  
“You...you aren’t angry?”  
“My nephew, you have found your path all on your own. You have restored your own honor. I couldn’t be more proud.” Uncle’s eyes grew misty, and the old man placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Zuko swallowed a lump in his throat that had suddenly made itself very apparent.  
“Thank you, uncle,” he said haltingly. The sharp panic in his chest slowly uncurled, and the breath came back to his lungs. Aang and Katara were tactful enough to be silent, but a small noise notified him that evidently Sokka had something incredibly important to say.  
“This is awesome, but what do we do now?” the Water Tribe boy pointed out. 

They spent a while discussing plans. No one kept track of how long the conversation lasted, but by the end of it the jasmine tea had long since gone cold, much to Uncle Iroh’s chagrin. It was eventually decided that the boat would go back to the Fire Nation. The Dragon of the West would inform his father of the unfortunate death of Prince Zuko, and crewmates would be paid a certain sum to keep quiet about what they had seen. Zuko would travel with the Avatar and help him in his endeavours to stop the war, and one day they would meet again. As Zuko embraced his uncle in farewell, he let himself feel a bit of hope for the future.  
“I will see you soon, my nephew!” Uncle called, waving from the deck of a ship that was rapidly shrinking as they took to the sky. He took a deep breath and made a bright blast of fire in the air as a sort of goodbye. Then he turned towards the front and watched the North star slowly rise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am hella worried bc i dont know if i got Iroh's character down that well. if I mess up our absolute king I will never forgive myself. Anyway, comment because it gives me them fanfic vitamins and drink water, you bastard. Love ya guys <3


	18. The North Pole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby it's cold outside... HOLY SHIT 50,000 HITS!!!

“I don’t like it,” Zuko muttered, teeth clattering obnoxiously in the oppressive silence. “It’s fucking cold.”  
“I’m not sure what you expected from the North Pole, buddy. You’re lucky we got you those furs,” Sokka replied. 

It had been a few weeks since Zuko had finally committed to their group, and he had found a place in their dynamic surprisingly quickly. A few things had happened along the way, one of the most notable being Katara’s discovery of healing. This proved to be invaluable, as Zuko was endearingly clumsy. Sokka didn’t know when everything the prince did started being adorable, but it was. Even now, bundled up in those furs with a cute look of annoyance on his face. He had deliberately avoided facing or thinking about his feelings for the firebender, but he was about seventy percent sure they weren’t ENTIRELY platonic. As for Zuko, he treated Sokka the same way he treated everyone else: with an irritable sort of affection. 

“Zuko, what have I said about swearing?” Katara sighed.  
“Katara, it’s fine,” Aang replied. “I know swear words. I just prefer to say monkey feathers.”  
Katara and Aang were the same as ever, of course. Aang was abundantly cheerful, and Katara was...not. He still loved both of them, of course, but sometimes he just wished they would hurry up and confess to each other. It was frustrating and kind of gross to see them pining so obviously.  
“Can everyone just shut up? We need to focus on finding these people,” Zuko interrupted, annoyance lacing his voice. The effect was somewhat ruined when a high pitched sneeze worked its way out of the boy’s throat, turning his nose pink. Sokka hid a smile, turning his face away to survey the glacial water that stretched in every direction around them. It felt enough like home to put him somewhat at ease, but the silence was unnerving. 

“Hmm. I’m not seeing anything, Katara. You don’t think…” Sokka trailed off, the unspoken question hanging heavy in the air. His chest felt a little tight. Was their sister tribe gone?  
“We just have to keep up hope,” she replied. He turned around and gazed at her steadily. He was familiar enough with her to notice the faint trembling at the corners of her smile and the tilt to her head. 

A loud CRACK sounded across the glacier, and a piece of ice fell into the water with a splash. It echoed a couple times, and then fell silent. Aang stood up from his perch on Appa’s head and looked around, frowning.  
“What was that?” he asked. Katara gasped loudly, and everyone whipped around. From around two icebergs there came two long canoes filled with sturdy figures clad in blue. Sokka felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes and a huge grin split across his face. Katara let out a sob, and collapsed to her knees, eyes hungrily scanning the scene. Zuko seemed a bit baffled. He turned to look at Aang, who was staring at the water tribesmen with a strange look of longing in his eyes. But sure enough, the Avatar’s familiar smile quickly took residence on his face. 

The wonder that they felt then was nothing compared to what they felt when they saw the beautiful ice walls and turrets surrounding the tribe. It was like looking at what their home could have been before the war. Even Zuko was impressed. He tilted his face upwards and gazed at the delicate snowy trellises with a look of supreme wonder. Sokka noticed that the slight motion exposed his pale throat to the chilly wind. He wasn’t sure why that was notable, it just was.  
“Wow,” Aang breathed, a puff of frost leaving his lips. “It’s beautiful.” The water tribesman beside him smiled.  
“It sure is. This is our home, and we built it all ourselves. I could point you to a home that my great great grandfather made. There’s a lot of history here,” the man mused. “By the way, call me Nanurjuk.”  
“Nanurjuk,” Sokka repeated, feeling out the syllables on his tongue. “My name is Sokka. My sister’s name is Katara, and this is the Avatar, Aang.” The man nodded.  
“And who is this young man?” he said sharply, glancing at Zuko. Sokka’s heart thrummed. Zuko did look, unfortunately, very fire nation. Even with the furs on, it was easy to see the hue of his skin, the angle of his cheekbones, the yellowed color of his iris, the… okay, Sokka was getting distracted. 

“Um, he, uh, also comes from. Our village.” he stammered. Katara swooped in.  
“Yeah! His name is Amaruq,” she said hurriedly. “He doesn’t speak much, but he’s very sweet…”  
“Mm. Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but uh… he’s unusual looking, no?” Nanurjuk sounded almost apologetic, but his eyes were scanning Zuko’s form critically. Another man with a bone earring elbowed him in the side.  
“Oh, no no, we get that question a lot! Don’t worry about it! Uh, unfortunate genetics, you could say…” Katara said appeasingly. Nanurjuk’s expression darkened, and he nodded.  
“Bastards, the lot of them,” he said sadly. Aang exchanged a confused look with Katara, but Sokka met Zuko’s gaze with a kind of sickened understanding. He cleared his throat.  
“Well! I’m sure you know why we’re here.” Hopefully a change of subject would clear the somber mood. Nanurjuk nodded, bringing his hand up to his hair to absentmindedly play with the dangling beads.  
“Yes. It’s an honor to have the Avatar and children from our sister tribe. After supper tonight, Injek will introduce you to Master Pakku, who will teach you waterbending,” he said. Nanurjuk smiled. “I think you’ll like Injek. Tie is the most kind and beautiful person you’ll ever meet. I’m glad I married tiem.”

Zuko nudged Sokka, looking rather confused. He bent over and whispered as quietly as possible. Aang took over chatting with Nanurjuk about his spouse, ever the social butterfly.  
“What does he mean? Tie? Who is that?” Sokka jumped back, an odd feeling wracking his spine at the feel of warm breath on his ear. He took a deep breath and murmured back.  
“It’s like ‘he’ or ‘she’. Do you not have Sipnit where you’re from?” Sokka asked incredulously. He shifted back and forth on his toes.  
“Uh. No?” Zuko replied. Again, the stir of air proved to be almost too much. He sighed.  
“It depends on the person and their heritage, but sometimes the spirits will bless an individual with a kind of transcendence. Gran-gran told me about it when I was little. I guess in your terms it’s like between male and female,” he explained, craning his neck so that his quiet speech would reach its target. Zuko withdrew, still looking confused, but gave him a cursory nod.

“What are you boys whispering about?” The man with the bone earring was looking at them with faint amusement. Sokka jumped, rocking the canoe slightly. A ripple of water spread out along the canals and stopped at an ice path directly ahead. His eyes tracked the motion, directly towards a convenient excuse.  
“Oh! Uh, we were talking about how pretty she is,” Sokka replied, pointing towards a young lady with striking white hair. Zuko made a choked sound beside him.  
“That’s the princess,” the man said bluntly. “Princess Yue. She’ll be at the dinner tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *casually walks back in after two months of hiatus*
> 
> Hey y'all what's up, ya boi is back with the goods. Sokka is an idiot, like always, and I got way too interested in the concept of the Inuit third gender because the amount of research i do for this frequently leads me to other research and.... you get it. Of course my queer heart craves that sweet sweet representation, so no one is cishet in this story. Sorry but also not. By the way I have been obsessively consuming kiribaku content lately so if they seem ooc That Is Why. If y'all wanna leave comments please do because it literally fuels me. Love you and drink water, you heathens.


	19. It's too cold for you here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did I make a sweater weather reference in the title? Yes I did. Fight me.  
> Zuko gets cold, Sokka helps.

The air was practically knocked out of Zuko’s lungs, and the cold air snaked an icy hand down his throat. How pretty she is? He looked over at the girl Sokka was talking about and his heart sank. She was beautiful. Her eyes were the color of sapphires and her hair was moonlight. Damn. As the man with the bone earring turned away, Zuko glanced at Sokka, searching his face.   
“Pretty, huh,” he said conversationally. Sokka glanced over in her general direction and forced a quick smile.   
“Mm. Quite.” They sat in uncomfortable silence for a minute. “You uhh...You like her?” Sokka asked. Zuko shook his head fervently. He briefly considered telling Sokka he didn’t swing that way, but decided against it. The boat silently glided past the snowy outcropping where Yue had been standing, and she gave them a friendly wave.   
“Welcome to our lovely home!” she called. Even her voice was musical. Zuko felt his throat twist unpleasantly. Sokka waved back politely. Yue gave him a special smile that lingered a bit too long for his comfort. He resigned himself to the inevitable, and felt his face collapse into a pitiful expression. He didn’t bother fixing it. 

“Zuko, what’s wrong?” Aang asked, turning away from Nanurjuk, who was still gushing about how wonderful his spouse was. Katara snorted.  
“Do you really not know?” she said incredulously, tucking a braid behind her ear and shooting the avatar a meaningful glance. Aang’s eyes widened in understanding. Zuko felt his cheeks heat up and he scowled. The icy wind swooped in, giving him a convenient excuse for the flush.   
“I’m fine. Just bored. When are we going to finish this tour?” he grumbled, biting back a shudder. The chill was getting to him, and he could barely move his fingers. Sokka glanced at him and hurriedly moved to help.   
“Oh, are you cold? Here-” he said quickly, draping his scarf over Zuko’s neck and cheeks. “Does that feel better? I don’t need them.” Zuko froze in panic as the other boy’s hands flitted over his shoulders, adjusting the fabric to better sit over his chin. Sokka pulled back and studied his face closely.  
“Dude, are you alright?” Sokka asked. His face was so close, and Zuko flinched, a puff of foggy air escaping his lips.   
“Yeah. I’m good,” he lied, trying to slow the frantic beating of his heart. He didn’t do too well with closeness, and he’d been on edge after Nanurjuk had pointed out his unusual appearance. That combined with the fact that Sokka was just altogether too pretty, and his composure was shattered. 

“You look upset, Zuko. What’s wrong?” He gently took Zuko’s gloved hand between his own and met his gaze kindly. He quickly looked away and yanked his hand back, cold as it was.   
“I’m fine.” Zuko suppressed a shiver and looked away stubbornly. To be honest, he was aching to do his breath of fire, but that would certainly be a bad idea. Sokka snorted and turned away.  
“Whatever, Zuzu,” Sokka said casually. Zuko froze.   
“What, pet names now?” Katara asked, neither of them noticing the state he was in. Zuzu. Zuzu. Shit, shit, shit. He felt his knees start to buckle a little bit and the chill vanished from his bones. The blue ice shimmered around him, taking the shape of familiar blue flames, and he was crying again- No. No!

“Don’t call me that!” he shouted, voice cracking hysterically. Aang was at his side within seconds, placing a tiny hand on his shoulder. He flinched back from the contact, all too aware of the sudden deafening silence in the canoe. A few people poked their heads out of their door frames, looking around in confusion. Nanurjuk cleared his throat.  
“Well, perhaps it’s time we end the tour,” he said, signaling the waterbender up front. “It’s drawing close to suppertime anyway.”  
“Yes, that would be best,” Katara replied, her brow furrowed. There was an uncomfortable pause. “Thank you for taking the time to show us around.”  
Aang struck up conversation with Nanurjuk again, this time with an almost single minded focus on the topic of Sipnit and the airbender equivalents.   
“That sounds a lot like what Gyatso used to say about the Avatar having both male and female halves of the soul! Is it like that?” he asked earnestly.   
“Well, yes and no…” Nanurjuk launched into a long-winded explanation and Zuko stopped listening, opting instead to gaze sullenly at the rippling water below. 

Dinnertime was a major source of nerves for him. They were all seated around a communal table, with various dishes set out along the middle. There were a few torches set up, and he took comfort in the glow, but overwhelmingly the scene was lit with a pale blue wash from the light of the moon. The beams trailed along numerous platters, refracting off of icicles and shining on everyone’s hair in a way that made it look glossy black. He had never felt so overwhelmingly out of place. The chief stood up and clapped his hands once, and a hush instantly fell over all of the assembled.   
“We of the Northern water tribe are honored to have guests from our sister tribe and the Avatar visiting us. Everyone be sure to pay them their due respect.” He looked around and took the cue to bob his head formally, feeling rather spinny. There were quite a lot of faces. Another unpleasant shiver wracked Zuko’s body, and Aang gave him a concerned look. With his inappropriately light attire, one would expect the airbender to be cold, but he supposed the boy had come up with some method of temperature regulation. Or Zuko was just ridiculously thin-blooded. Whatever. 

…. The meal passed, the hot fish offering some form of relief.

…. He restrained himself from wrinkling his nose at the strange slimy vegetables offered.

…. Sokka was happily tucking into some sort of boiled grain as his vision blurred.

…. Concerned blue eyes burned in front of his face.

“I’m taking Zuko to bed, he’s had a long day!” Came a voice close by his ear. He blinked once and then twice. They were walking steadily away from the table, the sound of chattering fading. He looked up from where his legs were moving in tandem with someone else’s and nearly fell over. It was his warrior boy. Wait. His? He decided to unpack that train of thought later and stood up straighter, almost dislodging Sokka’s arms from where they rested on his shoulder and waist, a firm support.   
“Uhh..” he rasped. What was he going to say again?   
“Zuko, buddy, stop wriggling. You nearly drifted off right there at the dinner table. I’m going to take you somewhere private,” Sokka replied, a strand of blue-black hair falling into his eyes. He wanted to poke it.   
“Private?” he asked. “Why?”   
“So you can…” Sokka lowered his voice, glancing over his shoulders. “So you can firebend to keep yourself properly warm. I know you’re more sensitive to the cold than the rest of us, and we’ve been out a lot today. So like, I get it. Just stay close to me, I’ll get you set up. Sokka is on the case!” He said the last line in less of a hushed tone, a bit of his usual playful joy dancing on his tongue. Zuko grinned. 

“Mm. Thanks.” He could feel the lull of the rhythmic movement of his half-frozen legs fogging up his brain again. “Just… Just wanna sleep.”  
“Oh yeah! I forgot about the thing where you like to go to bed super early. That must be why you’re all loopy. That, and the cold of course.” Sokka’s voice was nice, but really loud. A headache started to bloom in his temples.   
“Shhhhh…” He lazily smushed his hand over Sokka’s mouth to shut him up, only to draw it back horrified a second later. “Ew! You licked me! That’s disgusting!” Zuko was no longer sleepy, at least, too focused on scrubbing his hand off on his clothes. Sokka was laughing too hard to breathe properly.   
“I- pff- your voice dude! It went so high- bahaha!” Zuko very generously did not point out Sokka’s own voice crack. “Aw man I can’t breathe…”  
“Shut the fuck up.” He stood up straighter, throwing the other boy’s hands off. Sokka snorted.  
“Ah hush, you love me. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask. Your firebending does keep you warm, right? Like I swear I’ve seen you use it like that, but I still figured I needed to check.”   
“Uhh,” he hummed. “Well, yeah. Not for most firebenders. But Uncle taught me a technique where I can summon it from inside my stomach and breathe through my mouth. It’s how he kept warm on cold nights in the Earth Kingdom.” He cast his eyes about, trying to ascertain where they were headed. Sokka noticed.  
“I’m taking you to your room, chill. Well, not literally. But dude, you have to show me that once we’re alone! It sounds so cool!” the living moonbeam said happily, with a little spring in his step. Zuko’s chest twisted with fondness, and he looked away.  
“Yeah,” he muttered. And then out of the blue he was being dragged by his hand towards a brown solid looking door and being tugged inside.

It was a lovely looking dwelling, but the main thing that made him immediately fall in love with the place was the rush of warmth that rushed him like a hot bath. He barely restrained himself from crying out in relief. Even Sokka seemed to appreciate it. The rounded room had fluffy brown carpets (or were they skins?) stretched out over the floor, and there was a fireplace blazing merrily away. For the first time Zuko felt comfortable. There were four doorways spaced out around the curving wall, and he surmised that these were the bedrooms.  
“Whoa,” he sighed.   
“This is a nice place,” Sokka whistled. “By the way, I claim the biggest room!”  
“Wh- you asshole! We haven’t even looked at them yet!” Zuko protested. But he wasn’t really mad. How could he be? The room was empty, so he made a beeline for the fireplace and sat down in a meditative stance.   
“Are you gonna show me the thing?”  
“Yeah. Now be quiet.” He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, feeling the familiar hot sensation in his belly. The sea. It bubbled a little bit, and he idly wondered if it was audible. The smoke filtered out, and he could feel the tail end of it warm the tips of his ears as it escaped through the corners of his mouth. The fire curled through his body, limbering stiff joints and pumping his blood again. It really did feel incredible. He knew he was smirking, and he didn’t care. Now for his favorite part. He opened his mouth and let the bubbling deep in his abdomen overflow and spill out of his throat and past his teeth. With a little whoosh, he opened his eyes and watched in silent revelry as a tongue of orange flame escaped his lips. The last of the warmth spread down to his toes, and finally he felt normal again. His gaze flickered to where Sokka was standing without his permission, dark spots swimming across his vision from the intense light. The other boy was standing there with an unreadable expression across his face. Was it awe? Terror? Disgust? Or was it pain?   
“Sokka..?” he said tentatively, trying to get a gauge of the situation. There was no reply, only a wide eyed gaze that jerked to meet his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sup? Uh, idk how long its been since I updated but it wasn't two months this time and therefore it's automatically okay. My grandfather recently died, I feel I should probably tell you guys. But please don't fill the comments with condolences, fuck knows I have heard enough of those. Just... comment like you normally would. It really makes my day. 
> 
> I think my favorite part of this chapter to write was Zuko doing his epic dragon thing. I just love getting to indulge in descriptive language so much, it's like writers crack. I also really liked writing about them just fooling around, it's so wholesome and I adore them. I know y'all are probably like "Now kiss, it's been nineteen fucking chapters" and i am WITH YOU OKAY. I AM DYING AS WELL. i wasnt expecting the story to stretch this long and y'all have the patience of fuckin saints. Love yinz dearly, and drink some god damn water.


	20. Haven't you been hugged before?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a longer chapter, but CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT? Very cool. Also mutual pining. Which all the hoes love.

Sokka had been enjoying some proper food for the first time in a long time when he noticed Zuko nodding off at the table. Sighing, he put down his puddle fish and addressed Katara and Aang.  
“I’m taking Zuko to bed, he’s had a long day!” They nodded understandingly, and he hauled up the prince from the table. Zuko slumped against his side, and Sokka’s heart nearly burst when he mumbled sleepily. This was so CUTE.   
“Zuko, buddy, stop wriggling,” he reprimanded. “You nearly drifted off right there at the dinner table. I’m going to take you somewhere private.” He cringed internally as soon as the words left his mouth- that sounded really weird. Zuko blinked up at him.  
“Private? Why?” Zuko sniffed, cheeks going a deeper shade of pink. Oh no, he must be cold.  
“So you can-” he paused, thinking. Announcing that Zuko could firebend would be a bad idea. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “So you can firebend to keep yourself properly warm. I know you’re more sensitive to the cold than the rest of us, and we’ve been out a lot today. So like, I get it. Just stay close to me, I’ll get you set up. Sokka is on the case!” He grinned, hoping to cheer Zuko up a little bit. It seemed to work, much to his delight.   
“Mm...thanks,” came the mumbled reply. “Just… Just wanna sleep.” Zuko closed his eyes and Sokka really wanted to give him a kiss. This was too painfully adorable. 

Oh shit. He reflected for a second. A kiss? Was this confirmation? Did he like Zuko? Friends didn’t think about kissing each other...did they? Maybe really really close friends did. But did close friends have to physically tear their eyes away from each other on long journeys? Did friends have everything about each other memorized? He thought about all these things and then decided to stop thinking about these things. But when he spoke next, his voice was a bit too loud, as if to cover up the sound of his beating, traitorous heart.   
“Oh yeah! I forgot about the thing where you like to go to bed super early. That must be why you’re all loopy. That, and the cold of course.” He winced. What a mundane thing to say. Zuko seemed to think so too, because he raised his hand up towards his mouth.  
“Shhh…” the firebender mumbled, pressing his dry fingers against Sokka’s lips. His brain short circuited for a second, and he did the only thing he could think of. He licked the hand. He always did that when Katara tried to shut him up.   
It didn’t taste like anything, and the skin was dry. He panicked briefly, wondering what the reaction would be. When Zuko leaped back, an inhuman screech ripping from his throat, Sokka let out a breath of relief and then started laughing uncontrollably. He didn’t really process the rest of the conversation, but he had enough presence of mind to recognize the right door and drag Zuko inside. 

It was pleasantly warm, and he glanced over to make sure Zuko was enjoying it. The other boy had a look of near bliss on his face.  
“Whoa,” the prince breathed. Yeah. Okay, so he liked it.   
“This is a nice place! By the way, I claim the biggest room,” he said quickly. He was honestly just looking for a reaction. He got one.  
“You asshole!” Zuko complained. “We haven’t even looked at them yet!” Sokka smiled and watched as he went and sat down in front of the fireplace. Cute. Then he remembered something. He gasped.  
“Are you gonna show me the thing?” he asked excitedly. Zuko huffed.  
“Yeah. Now be quiet,” he said irritably. Sokka kept his mouth shut, because he wanted to see this. 

Zuko started off by taking a few deep breaths, his chest rising and falling hypnotically. Steam rose in lazy spirals off of his clothing. Smoke started to leak from the corners of his slightly parted lips to caress around the tips of his ears and drift towards the ceiling. Sokka could only stare. Then, rather unfairly, the corners of Zuko’s mouth curled in a devastating smirk. That can’t be allowed, he thought desperately. That cannot be allowed. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. The fire from within was so evident on the prince’s face, and it made him come alive in such a hypnotizing way. He was glowing. And then he opened his mouth and light spilled out like a second tongue, the bright fire glinting off of his eyes that he had just opened. Oh, and the flame reflecting off of those eyes was like staring into the heart of a volcano, all swirling gold and heat, and Sokka just wanted to jump in and stay forever in the center of this beautiful boy who blossomed like a flower in the warmth of the sun. Even if it burned his body to ashes, he wanted so desperately. He let his gaze follow the last of the fire as it melted away in the air, head spinning.   
“Sokka?” Zuko sounded concerned. He snapped to attention, meeting those flammable eyes. But he couldn’t come up with words. He was full to bursting with things to say, but they were all secret and close to his chest. Things like awe at the graceful rasp of that voice, disbelief that someone could be so incredible, pure and unadulterated aching want. Yeah. So this definitely was not completely platonic. What exactly he was supposed to do with that information he didn’t know. 

“Sokka, are you okay? I’m sorry if I made you upset,” Zuko said worriedly, scrambling up to his feet. And what was he supposed to say to that? He couldn’t very well tell Zuko that what he had just witnessed was the exact opposite of upsetting, and that it was possibly the most attractive thing he had ever witnessed. So he hedged.  
“No, dude, I’m good! That was so cool!” Sokka cringed at himself. Dude? He knew little about romance, admittedly, but he did know that was hardly the correct way to address the person you were interested in. Did he want Zuko to know about his feelings? Well, maybe not, but he wanted to at least leave the door open.   
“Oh. Uh, thanks. Do you want to take a look at the rooms now?” Zuko said hesitantly. An awkward silence swelled to fit the gaps between words like some kind of insidious mold.   
“Zuko, seriously, that was so awesome. I’m not upset, really!” He tried. That seemed to get through, and the other boy cracked a small smile, his posture loosening a bit. Sokka decided to count that as a victory, and extended his hand. Zuko met it in an awkward shake. Well. Not what he was going for, but okay then!  
“Okay. Thank you, Sokka. I think I’ll just take the room over there,” he said quietly, tilting his head to the left. The length of hair he had grown over the weeks shifted slightly with the movement.   
“You need help getting set up?” Sokka offered hopefully. Zuko shrugged.   
“Sure.” 

Sokka followed him into the room. It was dim, but he could make out a low bed and a roughly carved table. So this was where the firebender would be staying. He tried to shake the distinct feeling that he was doing something wrong by being in there.  
“I don’t really have much to unpack, so if you want to you can go back to the dinner,” Zuko mumbled. Sokka could make out his silhouette in the dark, and he idly admired the colorless shapes before shaking his head. He couldn’t think like that.  
“Well, to be honest I’m not that hungry,” he said frankly. It was true too. All thoughts of food had vanished from his mind. The prince inclined his head. The faint stir of air made Sokka shiver. Was it his imagination, or were they really close?   
“Oh. Um, I need to get undressed for bed though, so you should probably go…” Zuko fiddled with his hands, and Sokka stepped backwards as though he had been burned.  
“Yeah! I’ll get going then!” Maybe if he refused to acknowledge the crack in his voice it would cease to exist? He hightailed it out of the dark room, frantically trying to banish any and all thoughts of Zuko getting undressed from his mind. Perhaps it was best for him to dunk his head in a nearby snowbank, he thought miserably. Or maybe get it fixed with a good knock to the temple. The door swung shut and he fell to his knees in front of the fireplace, taking several deep breaths. 

Okay. He could do this. He had made an interesting realization, but it didn’t change anything. So what if he had a crush on Zuko? It wasn’t like that mattered. Nothing would come of it anyway, he just had to wait. He’d get over it eventually. There hadn’t been any kids his age in the village besides his sister, so he didn’t really know how this sort of thing worked, but the feelings probably went away eventually.   
Maybe he could ask Aang? He’d have to frame it carefully though. He furrowed his brow in deep thought and started to make his way towards a random room. Sokka yanked off his boots and coat and sat down heavily on the bed. It made a deep creaking noise. He began running over things in his mind as he lay down. Maybe a simple ‘I’m asking for a friend’ would do the trick. Couldn’t hurt to try. As his thoughts slowed and the simple warmth and darkness finally began to envelop his body, his mind flew back to simpler things. Gold and sunshine and the deep contrast between pale skin and volcanic black hair. 

His dreams that night were filled with Zuko. That stupidly perfect firebender that would probably be the death of him. Him and his stupid raspy voice, his gently curving lips, his warm dexterous hands, his eyelashes, his shoulders, his ridiculously gorgeous eyes. Sokka tossed and turned, his bed creaking obnoxiously. The stupid grin across his face wouldn’t go away, and his cheeks were hurting.   
At a certain point he gave up entirely and launched himself up with a hefty sigh, vision spinning in the darkness. Maybe a walk would help. He stumbled towards the door, not bothering to put on his clothes. He could stand the cold in his underclothes, at least for a few minutes. Sokka blinked in the dark and made his way blindly towards the exit. He knew he had found it when the cold air hit him.   
It was brisk and rather unpleasant, but he steeled himself and walked outside, hissing when the ice met his bare feet. The moon was high in the sky. It had to be at least midnight. Silvery light glanced off of the snow and began to clear away some of the cobwebs in his head. He took several deep breaths, and looked around. The turrets and balconies hovered magically in the spaces above the numerous canals, and where he was standing he could see almost the entire tribe laid out before him like a glittering picture.   
It gave him an odd little ache in his chest. His home might have looked something like this a century ago. It was heartrendingly beautiful. Sokka’s thoughts turned inwards, and he wondered what he must look like, gazing out across this wintry dreamscape in nothing but thin sleeping shorts. Probably stupid. It was freezing outside, anyone sensible would be bundled up in at least three layers of furs. But the more sentimental part of his mind insisted he stay, relish the biting pain of the wind for just one minute more. 

“Uh...Sokka?” It was a familiar rasping voice, and he whirled around. Oh shit. He didn’t know what to say, so he just stared. Zuko was standing in the doorway, far more appropriately attired. The pale light washed him out and made him look monochrome as he stood there with a faintly bemused expression on his face. The other boy’s eyes flickered down to Sokka’s chest, and he instinctively threw his arms across it. How was he supposed to explain this?   
“What are you doing?” Zuko asked. Reasonably enough. “Aren’t you, well, cold?” He cocked an eyebrow. The smart-ass.   
“Um… I might ask the same of you,” Sokka fired back. It was weak at best, but he really didn’t know what else to say. A small gust of icy wind swooped down in between them, making a faint whistling noise as if it was laughing.  
“Couldn’t sleep. Heard footsteps,” Zuko replied. “What’s your excuse?” He shifted his posture, meeting Sokka’s eyes. There was a glint of challenge in that gaze. And what was he supposed to say to that? The truth? That he couldn’t sleep either because he kept thinking about what it might be like to rest his head on that warm shoulder? What it might be like to hold him in his arms? That he was so preoccupied he had to walk out here in the middle of the night to clear his brain because false hopes were the last thing that he needed.   
“I needed to think,” he said. Technically it wasn’t a lie. Zuko looked him up and down quickly, and abruptly turned his face to the side. There was no color in this strange other world, but his cheeks turned a darker shade of grey. The firebender cleared his throat.  
“Mm. Well, we should probably get you inside. You’re not, uh, dressed for the weather. So to speak. I can light a fire in the main room,” he said, and turned to go inside, clearly meaning for Sokka to follow him. Light a fire?  
“In the fun way?” Sokka clarified. Zuko nodded haltingly, and stepped into the darkness. Sokka eagerly followed him, closing the door. The warmth hit him, and as much as he loved the cold, he had to admit that the insulation was very much appreciated. Zuko strode forward towards the fireplace and bent down, carefully igniting it with a snap of his fingers. Then he hurriedly shrugged off his coat and tossed it towards Sokka without looking in his direction.

“Put that on,” he ordered. There was something rough in his voice. Had Sokka offended him in some way? He decided it was probably best to listen just in case, so he quickly wrapped the soft fur around his shoulders. Zuko sat on the ground in front of the fireplace.  
“Are you decent?” The prince was determinedly staring at his hands.   
“Yeah,” he replied, sitting across from him. Zuko looked back up.   
“Do you…” he started, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. “Do you need to talk about it?” He seemed unused to this sort of thing, and Sokka reflected. Had he ever had friends before? It sounded like Zuko was attempting to recreate the way Aang showed sympathy. The awkwardness of the gesture somehow made him even more endearing.  
“Um. I guess I was just thinking about home,” Sokka said. It slipped out surprisingly easily. Zuko nodded.   
“That’s cool. Are you homesick? Is that the term?”   
“A little bit. But mostly I was thinking about what it could have been- I don’t know if that makes sense, though,” he replied. Why was he talking about this? Maybe it was to please Zuko. It probably would have been bad if the older boy had gone to all the trouble of asking after him, of obviously trying so damn hard, and he had just shut down. He ignored the quieter part of his mind that knew the truth. That he just needed to talk about it.  
“I don’t think I understand,” Zuko mumbled. And that was it, that flipped the switch, and suddenly Sokka found his mouth overflowing with all the things he wanted to say.  
“It’s just. It’s just that this place is so damn beautiful, you know? And my home could have been like that. It probably looked at least something like this a hundred years ago. Before the raids, it was probably full of history and magic. But now it’s a couple of ice huts in a tiny snowy wall. Not that I don’t love it. I love it so much, it’s my home! But it feels so small. It feels like I was robbed of something. And it’s not just that, either. There’s so many people here. Back in my village, there are a few women and children. The men are all gone, out to war. And there are no waterbenders left, no one who remembers how to teach Katara, which is why we had to cross the whole damn world just to find someone to help us! I feel like my sister and I have just missed out on so much, you know? Maybe it’s silly but as much as I love being here, it hurts a little bit too.” 

He finished saying all this with a deep breath, and looked up at his friend. Zuko was leaning forward, his brow creased.   
“I’m sorry, Sokka,” he said quietly. “I know I’ll probably never be able to fully understand, and I’m so sorry. Do you, uh, need a hug?” And oh spirits, he sounded so awkward, and that was definitely taken straight from Aang’s book. But Sokka would never turn down a hug. So he shuffled forward and let the firebender tug him closer and hold him tight. He wrapped his arms tightly around Zuko’s shoulders, and damn him for wishing he could stay like this forever. It was so warm, and the prince’s arms were so strong.  
“You’re like a stove,” he hummed. Zuko exhaled.  
“Firebender. I run hot, remember?” There was a smile in his voice. One hand hesitantly began rubbing small circles on his back. He had to have learned that from Katara. Sokka grinned and squeezed a little tighter before reluctantly letting go. But he didn’t move backwards and neither did Zuko, so they stayed sitting like that with their knees almost touching.  
“Thanks,” he said. “I think I really needed that.” Zuko nodded slowly.  
“I think I did too, actually. It was…nice,” he added, his voice tinged with hesitation. Sokka frowned.   
“You act like you’ve never been hugged before.” It was an unspoken question, and Zuko answered it with an awkward smile.  
“Um, not since I was about eleven years old actually,” he admitted.   
“What happened when you were eleven?” Sokka asked. The other boy’s expression shuttered closed, and he stood up. The loss of warmth was abrupt and heartbreaking.  
“My mother left. Good night, Sokka.” Zuko turned around and left, leaving the fire burning and Sokka on the floor. 

From anyone else, that would have felt like a rejection. But from Zuko, it felt more like he was sharing just a tiny piece of himself, just the piece that he could stand to share. It didn’t feel like a rejection, it felt like a symbol of gratitude that had cost him dearly to give. As Sokka sat there, the burn at the loss of Zuko’s presence was largely mitigated by the knowledge that the prince trusted him. At least as much as he was able to. He savored that knowledge, and when he went back to bed that night, he understood that he had won something special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> adfshmfbsfhhh HUGS YES WE LOVE HUGS. Also our boys are thirsty and its like, really painful to write. But aside from the romantic tension, it's really fun to explore the dynamic of their relationship and i LOVE developing it. This is the final time I will be handing out this disclaimer but i am TRASH at writing romance. Literal trash. I'm literally just winging it and hoping shit works out. Love you all and please comment because i love reading your thoughts and i love yOU!! Now go get yourself some water, you dehydrated carrot.


	21. The bones I stand on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HEY BABES!! HUGE HUGE CW for implied/referenced self harm. If you want to skip the really upsetting part, there is a break in the chapter marked by an ellipse, so just scroll to that. There is nothing explicit, but the last thing I would want to do is inadvertently contribute to someone's relapse. Read with caution, and remember that I love you.

Zuko laid in his bed, perfectly silent and perfectly still. Predictably, his mind would not stop doing things he explicitly ordered it to stop doing. The image of his warrior boy (no, not his, not his, not yet, not ever) standing so stoically against the biting wind with the starlight on his hair played over and over again in the back of his mind. And when he closed his eyes, the picture leapt to the front. It was such a pretty picture. That was the devastation of it all.   
The moon made his skin glow  
And the wind ruffled his loose hair around the angle of his jaw  
His calloused hands resting lightly by his hips  
The smoothly lined calves planted solidly into the ground  
Angles and shapes in the back  
That soft curve of the neck  
And when he had turned around, he somehow became more hypnotizing  
The eyes were lit up in the dark  
And his lips were slightly parted  
One strand of hair draped softly over his forehead  
The hollows in his collarbone  
And the planes of his chest  
Why him? Why did he have to fall for the one boy who would never look at him twice? Sokka was so perfect and he, Zuko, was nothing. 

He was nothing at all. He was disfigured to the point of nausea, to the point where he felt guilty for inflicting his presence on people. Maybe if his personality made up for that, he would see some point in his own pointlessly disgusting existence, but he was so angry and unpalatable all the time. He was nothing like Sokka, and Sokka was so good. He was so funny, and smart, and kind. Zuko didn’t deserve the space he took up with his body, he didn’t deserve the bones he was given to live inside. Zuko was nothing, and Sokka was everything. Who was he to think about someone so beautiful in that way? Someone who had so kindly extended a hand of friendship to the pathetic groveling thing on the ground. It would be a betrayal of the worst kind to believe that he deserved Sokka.   
Who was he? He was a disgusting lump of flesh who did nothing but bring misery to those around him. Sokka would retreat in horror if he knew about the way Zuko thought about him. The way he had no right to think. If Sokka ever met Azula, he’d see just how worthless Zuko was in comparison. Azula was everything he was not. She was powerful and perfect and clever. She had a reason for existence.   
Everyone had a reason for existence except for him. If he just vanished and stopped existing, the world would be better off. But he was selfish and insisted on keeping himself around to leech off of the good graces of his betters. He was so damn selfish. 

Zuko sat up, his mind going blank.  
“I am nothing. I do not deserve the bones I stand on,” he whispered. A single tear trickled down his cheek, and he stood from the bed. He looked down in the darkness at his body and was suddenly filled with a burning hatred. How stupid. How idiotic. What a pointlessly massive pile of skin and blood and muscle. He resented it for stubbornly keeping him alive. And then, for the first time in a long time, he considered something that Iroh had made him promise never to do again. It had made his Uncle cry when he caught Zuko at it. So this time, he would have to be quiet and secret.   
“I do not deserve the bones I stand on,” he said again, blindly speaking out the words to an invisible audience in the shadows. He tried one last time to suppress the violent urge to destroy, but a stronger voice surged up inside his mind. No. Do not stop. You have no right to stop this. There was a buzzing in his ears, and he let a small smile cut across his teeth. The single tear that had fallen followed the curve of the skin and fell off to the side, forgotten. 

Then he let the familiar sensation of his bending surge to his right fingertip. 

…

Sokka woke up the next day with a grin, already reliving the events of last night. He had hugged Zuko! How cool was that? Then he remembered. After dinner, they were supposed to go talk to this Master Pakku. He’d have to ask Katara how it had gone. He bounced out of bed with a jubilant air and yanked his clothes on as fast as possible, grabbing his boots and shoving his feet in them on his way out the door, humming as he walked. And promptly ran smack into Aang.  
“Whoa!” They shouted, practically in unison. And then Sokka shrieked in laughter, and Aang joined, doubling over and struggling for air.   
“Not you too, Sokka,” Katara groaned. He turned, and she was standing outside her door, looking at them with poorly disguised fondness. “Since when are you a morning person?”  
“Since this morning!” he replied cheerfully. Katara shook her head.  
“Betrayal, is what it is,” she said, clicking her tongue. Aang took this as a sign to get serious all of a sudden, and he straightened up and puffed out his chest slightly. Sokka nearly choked. Who was he trying to fool?  
“Good morning, lady Katara,” Aang said, putting on a false deep voice and bowing low to the ground. Sokka exchanged a grin with him and followed suit.  
“Indeed, it is lovely to see you on this fine morning. Now shall we discuss our itinerary for today, my lady?” Sokka dramatically reached out to grab her hand, and she yanked it away.  
“Haha, you guys are so funny.” Katara cocked an eyebrow. “Besides, THIS is how you do it!” She did an elaborate twirl and finished with a formal curtsy. Aang nearly fell over himself laughing. Wait, where was his firebender?

“Hey guys, I hate to rain on this parade, but where’s Zuko?” Sokka cut in. Katara looked around in mild surprise.  
“Huh. I don’t know. Of course you’re the first person to notice he’s gone,” she said airily. Sokka panicked. Did she know??  
“Wh- what is that supposed to mean?” he spluttered. She looked at him with an innocent expression. Too innocent.  
“Oh, you’re perceptive, that’s all,” she replied. Was he supposed to take that as a compliment, or some sort of joke that he wasn’t in on yet? Knowing Katara, she had somehow figured out what he had only realized last night. He raised his chin stubbornly.  
“He’s probably still getting dressed. Should I check on him?” Aang asked, having paid little attention to the silent exchange that had just taken place in front of him.   
“I’ll go knock,” Sokka replied absently, heading over to Zuko’s room. He rapped gently on the door, but there was no reply. “Zuko? You in there?” Silence. He exchanged a worried glance with Katara, and opened the door. 

Zuko was sprawled out on the bed in his tunic with his hand draped over his forearm, and as the door opened, he sat bolt upright, blinking hard.  
“Dude? Are you okay?” he tried. Zuko stared at him blankly for a second. His hand didn’t move from where it was glued to his arm.   
“Oh… did I sleep in? I’m so sorry,” came the raspy reply. Wow, what a lovely voice.   
“Hey, no worries man! We were just worried about you,” Sokka assured. At this, Zuko’s face twisted up in an odd way, and he looked at his hidden forearm. Was that guilt on his face? He didn’t have time to ponder this, though, because Zuko quickly nodded and stood from the bed, still strategically arranged to his left arm. And at this point Sokka had to say something, because he wasn’t stupid.   
“Is there something wrong with your arm?” The prince stiffened almost imperceptibly, before his face relaxed into something that looked practiced.   
“No, I’m fine. I do need to get dressed now, so if I could have some privacy that would be very much appreciated,” he said smoothly. Um, Zuko was disturbingly good at lying. He had managed to convince Aang, at least, who nodded and began to turn away. Katara still looked on the fence. She must have seen the faint glint in Zuko’s eyes that signified fear. Sokka gave her a meaningful glance.

“Let me see, Koko,” he said gently. He hadn’t responded well to Zuzu last time. Zuko gave him an odd look at this nickname, but shook his head.  
“I’m fine, really.” And there it was again, that glint in his eyes and that silver tongue. Something was definitely wrong. Even Aang had felt it by now, and he was frowning slightly from where he stood in the doorway. Katara stepped forward, bending some water out of her pouch.  
“If you’ve been hurt, I can help,” she said softly. Zuko looked at her with an expression that looked somewhere between awe, anger, fear, and desperation. Sokka heard him mutter something about bones. What the hell? What was going on? He made a decision and strode over to Zuko’s bedside, taking his arm in a gentle but forceful manner. The prince hissed in pain and tried to yank it away, but Sokka held on firmly. And for the first time he saw what was wrong.  
“The fuck is this?” he asked, staring at angry red welts marring the pale skin of Zuko’s forearm. The fine hairs that covered the rest of his arm were gone where the color was. It was obviously a burn. Had Zuko made a mistake while trying to practice or something? He looked up, and the prince’s face was screwed up in rage.   
“Let go of me,” he growled. Sokka looked at the burns again. Something wasn’t sitting right. The red marks were slashed across the skin really evenly, and they were parallel. They looked deliberate, like the work of a carver. Were they deliberate? His stomach twisted a little bit. What was he looking at?   
“Zuko… did you do this?” he whispered, voice cracking slightly. The choked sob that clambered its way out of the firebender’s throat was all the answer he needed. “Katara. Get over here.” She obeyed quickly, covering her hands in water and resting the glowing liquid on the marks. When she took them away, the skin was only faintly pink. Katara sighed heavily, and moved to go.  
“Aang, come on. Let’s go get breakfast.” She grabbed the kid by the arm and started walking away with him. They were out of eyesight but not out of earshot when Aang spoke again.  
“I don’t understand, what happened to him?” Katara hushed him and the sound of their footsteps grew fainter and then disappeared with the sound of a heavy door opening and shutting. Sokka looked back at Zuko, who had sat back down on his bed, head bowed. He joined him, sitting carefully on the sheets. 

“Zuko,” he said gently. The prince merely flinched back at the sound of his voice. Kuruk. “Why did you do this?”   
“I just did. It’s not important,” he said. What the fuck? That was no kind of explanation. Sokka gave him a look, but the boy remained stubbornly silent. His stomach twisted again a little bit. On impulse he ran his fingers over the freshly healed skin, almost reverentially. Zuko shivered.  
“Zuko,” he said, and his voice was low. “I don’t appreciate anyone hurting my friend. I care about my friend. I care about you. We all do. And I don’t understand. What the hell made you think this was a good idea?” The prince looked up at him, blinking furiously. And then he inched a little closer, eyes falling shut. Sokka took the hint and wrapped him in a hug. Zuko’s face was buried in his chest, and his voice was broken.  
“I don’t understand how you tolerate me,” he whispered. And at that, Sokka’s mind went entirely blank with confusion. What? This perfect, lovely, kind hearted boy thought that badly of himself? How did he not know how much Sokka adored him? 

“Dude, we all love you a lot,” he murmured into Zuko’s hair. “You’re our friend. You’re funny, and smart, and actually really sweet. I love having you around, we all do. You make our days better. Not to mention your epic firebending skills,” he added. Zuko clutched onto his shirt with a kind of desperate fervor and shook a little bit.  
“I’m so fucking sorry,” he said, voice cracking.   
“Sorry for what?” Sokka brought one hand up to rest on the back of his neck, and Zuko had no reply save to dig his fingers deeper into the cloth of his shirt. He didn’t mention the growing dampness on his shoulder. He leaned forwards and held the prince tighter, doing his best to provide some form of comfort, and gradually the sobs grew quieter. He brought his hand up to rest in Zuko’s hair, and took deep breaths in an attempt to cue his friend to do the same. Zuko smelled like cinnamon and wood smoke. And he was so, so warm. How could anyone hate someone like him? He couldn’t imagine it, not with the firebender pressed into his chest like that. Sokka rubbed his back soothingly, doing his best to be a comfort. Zuko sighed.  
“You’re the best jerkbender I know, Koko,” he whispered. He got the reaction he was looking for. Zuko chuckled slightly and sat up, wiping at his face furiously with his hands. His cheeks were wet but there was a smile there, and that was enough for Sokka. On impulse, he reached forward and brushed away a stray tear with his thumb. The other boy stilled, a flush creeping across his cheeks.  
“Thank you,” Zuko replied, meeting his eyes. Sokka’s breath hitched. Shit. He really wanted to kiss him, and his eyes flickered down to Zuko’s mouth without his permission. He forced his gaze back upwards, heart pounding out an erratic rhythm in his ribcage. Did Zuko feel it too, the weight in this silence? He stilled, not wanting to leave and unable to breathe. The prince’s eyes were dark and searching. Did he feel it?   
“Do you…” Sokka paused, clearing his throat. “Do you want to get some breakfast?” The other boy’s face fell into a neutral expression, and the tension broke.   
“Yeah, sure,” he said, glancing down at where their knees were pressed together on the bed. “You can go ahead, I’ll get properly dressed and catch up later.”   
“Okay. See you soon, Koko,” he said, and relished the small smile the nickname earned him. He stood up and left the room, as well as the strange atmosphere of warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the funny moment when all of you simultaneously make the realization "Oh! This author is really mentally ill and projecting, like a lot!"   
> That being said  
> dhafkgfgkhfghjhj OH MY GOD I'M GONNA HAVE TO ADD A HURT/COMFORT TAG. ugh sokka comforting him is so dgfjgf and HUGS, MORE HUGS THANK YOU. we're getting there folks, i swear, the torture will end soon (i think, but this is all improvisation please dont hate me) Now drink water you fools


	22. Katara's story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trauma? More like spicy childhood

Katara steeled herself. Pakku was supposed to meet with her and Aang after the dinner the previous night, but had been held up by one of his students. That’s what the Chief had said. So Injek was currently leading them through the winding canals. Aang was making conversation with tiem, but Katara couldn’t get out of her own head. She was nervous to meet Master Pakku, she could admit that, but she was also worried. Those marks on Zuko’s arm...they looked disturbingly intentional. If she had had more time she would have stayed behind to talk to him about it, but as it was they were already running late. Hopefully Sokka didn’t mess things up too bad. 

“So would you say you feel like both, neither, or something else entirely my friend?” Injek asked. Katara tuned back into the conversation. Aang’s brows furrowed thoughtfully. 

“Hmm. Perhaps something outside of those terms. I told Gyatso about it once, and he told me to look inward,” he replied, closing his eyes. Injek hummed. Injek was a tall broad person with a wide smile and braided hair. Katara liked tiem almost instantly. 

“It’s possible that it’s a manifestation of your Avatar spirit, this sense of otherness,” tie mused. Aang shook his head. 

“I don’t think so. Gyatso thought something similar, but I think this feeling is my own. Roku never mentioned being anything but a man,” he muttered. Injek smiled kindly, and gently placed a large hand on his shoulder.

“Take all the time you need to figure it out, my friend. Thank you for confiding in me, young Avatar,” tie said, maneuvering the canoe into a small alcove. “We’re here.” This last bit was a bit louder for Katara’s benefit, and she smiled politely.

“Thank you so much, Injek! I hope we meet again soon,” she replied. As the canoe pulled away, she got a better look at their surroundings. It was a courtyard made of ice, and at the far end there was an old man waterbending quietly with his back to them. It was entrancing to watch him work, the gentle motions of his fingers pulling the thin stream through the air like a banner. He made it look so easy, like the water was no more than an extension of his own body. It was entrancing.

“Hi!” Aang broke the silence. “Are you Master Pakku?” The water stopped in its path and dropped with a defeated finality onto the ground. The man turned around stiffly. His eyes were piercing.

“Well. It’s not like I was concentrating or anything. You’re late,” he scolded.  _ What a pleasant greeting.  _ The passive aggressiveness in his voice immediately put Katara on the defensive. Ugly and an ass? He needs to pick a struggle, she thought. She forced a smile.

“Apologies, Master Pakku! We came here to learn waterbending from you.” Katara dropped into a bow, silently praying that Aang was doing the same next to her.

“I’m well aware. Follow me.” He snapped his fingers and spun on his heel.  _ Deep breaths, Katara.  _ Aang looked slightly deflated for a moment, but quickly snapped back.

“Maybe he’s just having a bad day,” he whispered. Katara felt some of the anger seep out of her, and she smiled. Trust Aang to make her feel better. Always so positive. She looked back at him, and he was grinning at her. Her heart did a funny little twist.

“Today please!” Pakku called irritably, and just like that any trace of sympathy vanished. Scowling, she followed the salty old man through an arch into another courtyard, Aang scurrying along behind. 

There were twenty or so people standing there, ranging in age from about ten to nineteen. Two girls in the corner were making an intricate ice sculpture (of what exactly was up to interpretation), and about half the younger boys were involved in a snowball fight that involved no actual making of the snowballs, just kicking at the ground and making perfect spheres fly at each other with their feet. One girl who looked maybe two years older than Katara was doing some sort of dance routine, using a thin ribbon of water as an element. Her hair was a striking shade of white. The rest of the people were simply milling about. 

“Students! Fall in line please!” Pakku clapped his hands, and the majority of the kids obeyed. The two girls with the ice sculpture dejectedly knocked it down and walked back to the wall where everyone else was with their heads hung. The white haired girl paused.

“Couldn’t I have just another minute to try and refine the choreography?” 

“Yue, back in line,” he said sternly. She shrugged and made her way to the rest of the crowd, giving Katara and Aang a little wave. Katara couldn’t help but notice how pretty she was, and it took a bit of effort to look away. 

“These are our newest arrivals. I’m sure all of you will behave with dignity as they play catch-up. Naman, Yue, I want you to run your groups through some drills while I teach them the basics. Now go!” Pakku clapped his hands, and the assembled students immediately divided into two crowds. The ones that weren’t with Yue were with an older boy with a lanky build and thick hair. Then he turned back to Aang and Katara. 

“First things first, basic stances. We will learn two today. Plant your feet like so, bend your knees, and raise your hands to frame your chest and face,” he directed. 

Katara didn’t know how many hours it had been, but she was having fun. She may not like the teacher that much, but for the first time she felt like the water was working with her. It was exhilarating. Every now and then she stole a glance at Yue, and sometimes the other girl would be watching her curiously. When Pakku eventually let them go for a break, she decided to go introduce herself to the other kids. 

“Hi everyone! I’m Aang! It’s nice to meet you! I’m so excited to be learning waterbending! It’s different from airbending, but not as different as I expected. What’s your names? Ooh, and what cool fancy moves can you do?” Aang bounced around. Evidently she’d been beaten to it. There was a startled murmur among those assembled, and a few of the more social children bounded up immediately to make friends. Oh well. Katara smiled at the sight, and stepped forward a bit to join, but was stopped by a slender hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey,” Yue said. Katara’s heart skipped a beat and she looked down at her feet. Her voice was musical and pleasant.

“Um, hi!” Katara replied shyly. “You’re Yue, right?” The girl nodded, smiling. It was hard not to notice how pretty she was.

“That’s me! I was wondering if you might want to dance with me? You seem pretty talented, after all. And my routine could use an extra bender. Would you be up to it?” Yue chewed on her lip slightly. Warmth rooted in Katara’s chest, and she felt a flush creeping up to her ears. 

“I- yeah! That sounds like so much fun. Oh,” she remembered. “Aang and I actually have to go back as soon as possible to check on our friend. Do you want to come with? You can meet him! And my brother,” she offered. As fun as dancing with Yue sounded, Zuko and her brother had to come first. The burns that morning weren’t something that she could just ignore. 

“Sure! I’ll just follow you, then,” she said, smiling slightly. Katara ignored the little flutter her heart did at the sight and turned to find Aang. It didn’t take long to find him at the center of an awestruck crowd of kids. Some of the older teenagers were watching too, but they were standing back a bit and pretending not to care.

“Hey Aang! Put the marbles away, we gotta go check on Zuko!” He looked up and beamed, whisking them away into a hidden pocket in his tunic somewhere. Aang bounded over and gave Yue an exaggerated bow.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Aang!” He stuck his hand out and Yue took it with a polite smile. 

The two hit it off pretty much immediately, chatting all the way back home. Katara wasn’t paying much attention, because once she remembered the situation that morning her worry returned full force. It was hard for her to understand exactly how one did that. It ran counter to everything she knew about people. She resolved to find out more about Zuko, and help him in whatever way possible. 

“We’re here, Yue! Do you want to come in?” Aang’s bright voice shook her out of her reverie, and she looked around in mild surprise. Ah. With any luck, the boys would be at home- Zuko didn’t like the cold, which was understandable, and Sokka was practically glued at his hip half the time. And she couldn’t imagine even someone as clueless as her brother leaving Zuko alone after what had happened that morning. Nevertheless, it was with some degree of apprehension that she opened the door. It was warm inside, and the first thing her eyes lit upon was a cheery fire in the brazier. It smelled lovely, like some sweet foreign spice she didn’t quite recognize. Zuko sat on the ground in the middle of the room with a cup cradled in his hands and a blue trimmed fur thrown over his shoulders- was that  _ Sokka’s _ ? Her brother was splayed out in a ridiculous manner with a chisel in his hands, working some kind of inscription into a wooden knife handle. 

“And so that’s when I said, ‘No! I don’t want to do the sweeping, Gran-Gran!’ Worst mistake of my life, I tell you. Oh, hey guys!” Sokka looked up, eyes alighting on Yue, and he made a strange choked sound. Zuko followed his gaze and went very still. 

“Hi there! I think I recognize you guys, actually!” Yue said conversationally. “It’s nice to meet you properly! I’m Yue, Princess Yue!”  _ Wait. Princess? _

“Huh?” was all Katara could say. The other girl cocked her head for a second before understanding.

“Oh! I never did introduce myself properly. Yeah, I’m the princess,” she said, sounding almost embarrassed. “I skipped out on the dinner the other night, so that’s probably why you didn’t know…” She produced a strip of dark blue cloth from her coat, and attached to it was a small circular water tribe symbol carved into some kind of gemstone. For some reason, Katara glanced over at Zuko. All the ease from earlier was completely gone, and he sat ramrod straight and pale, knuckles whitened around the mug he was holding. 

“Here, why don’t you guys talk for a bit? Zuko, come to my room, I need to ask you about something,” she interjected. He visibly relaxed, and nodded, putting the mug down on the floor.  _ Success.  _ He got up awkwardly, and they made their way to her tidy room, tuning out the happy chatter behind them. Katara could have sworn she felt eyes on her back, but when she turned around, there was nothing. 

“Hey Katara, what’s going on?” The older boy sat on the ground and she followed suit. Katara looked at him, trying to assess the situation. He looked tired, and stressed, and there was a fleck of dirt on his cheek. No anger. He’d mellowed out since joining their group, but he was still pretty hotheaded, so this was unusual. But in the moment, Zuko seemed at least somewhat at ease. Clearly he felt comfortable around her to a certain degree. 

“I need to talk to you, Zuko,” she began. He sighed.

“What do you need to know?” The prince looked like he was expecting the worst, his face turned away. Katara hesitated. 

“Everything. Tell me… tell me everything.” She wasn’t fully expecting him to comply, so she was startled when his hand reached out for hers and he started to talk. 

He spoke in a monotone voice, eyes somewhere far far away in space and time. He spoke as if he was reciting from a particularly dry history book. Zuko told her stories for at least ten minutes, maybe more, and the more she heard the more it all fell into place. And so many of the ideas he seemed to take for granted were so alien to her. 

“And I hadn’t earned father’s love…”

“I was worthless compared to Azula…”

“She told me that I would be killed…”

“I think it was my fault, in the end…”

“So it was only logical that I punish myself…” His eyes were blank, and Katara took a minute before replying. She didn’t want to overwhelm him, and if she spoke too soon she might mess up. After all, the stories he had just told sounded like the worst parts of a nasty nightmare, only he thought that it was normal. 

“You did it again last night, didn’t you? Why?” she asked quietly. Zuko looked at her as if his heart was bleeding.

“I can’t. I can’t say,” he choked, sounding actually upset for the first time. If it were anyone else, she’d suspect that they had, like, murdered someone or something. But knowing this boy and his misplaced priorities, it was probably something stupid. An idea sparked in the back of her mind, and she was almost tempted to ignore it, it sounded so far-fetched. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Katara decided to go out on a limb. A shot in the dark, if you will. She hummed.

“You like Sokka.” Silence. Zuko had stopped breathing. This was the verge of something. “Zuko, do you like yourself?” 

“No, not at all,” came the immediate reply. It bothered her how easily he said that. It slipped out of his mouth with the same ease of someone who was explaining their dislike of seal jerky.

“What do you think you deserve?” she tried. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. Damn it. This was so precarious. Zuko’s hand was trembling in her own. And then she heard it… something that could easily be passed off as nothing more than a breath of air. It was hard to make it out, and she leaned in closer.

“Pain,” he whispered. Katara’s hand was suddenly squeezed in a vice-like grip. Oh Tui and fucking La. She didn’t know what to say, so she let go of his hand. There was a brief expression of heartbreak on his face before she wrapped him up in a hug. Zuko was frozen for a few seconds, before his arms flew up around her shoulders and he buried his nose in her hair. And maybe it was impossible, but Katara tried so hard to convey all she could with that embrace. You’re my friend. I’m so sorry. You deserve so much. With it, she could feel the weight of his story settle in her chest along with the weight of her own story, and Sokka’s, and Aang’s, and the countless others she had collected. It hurt, carrying all those tears around, so she let one slip free and fall down her face before composing her features into something more comforting. Zuko let go, casting his eyes to the floor.

“I’m sorry, Katara.”

“Don’t be.” And she made her voice light to conceal the heaviness she felt. She was fine. She always would be. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have done several things that I think are rather iconic: No misogynistic Pakku arc because I simply Did Not Vibe with it. Also Katara is bisexual because fuck you I can. Aang exploring his nb identity? yessir. Zuko trauma and Zuko/katara friendship because i think thats important... also why the fuck is it so hard to write from Katara's pov when i literally kin her smh. Oh I also did a lil bit of mom/therapy friend angst at the end there bc Suffering. Projecting? Mayhaps muahaha. Did I vanish on y'all for a month? Yes. Please dont kill me :D However you will be pleased to know that my shitstorm of a school situation is better- i worked my ass off and i got 4 Bs and 2 As last quarter aaaand im rambling but i feel like i need to give y'all an excuse as to why i ghosted aga i n.
> 
> Oh also ye we're on chapter 234368 out of 5 and zukka hasnt got their shit together but i p r o m i se i will GET TO IT I AM SO SORRY THINK OF IT AS A REALLY FUCKIN DEDICATED SLOWBURN


	23. The luxury of breathing with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I already know u hoes are just gonna keysmash in the comments smh  
> Anyway, slight CW for brief description of dissociation in the beginning, but it's mostly just tooth-rotting fluff

Zuko was somewhat numb. 

“I’m gonna go hang out with Yue and Aang. Are you gonna be okay?” Katara asked. He could only nod mutely. She paused and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We love you. Just ask if you need anything, seriously.” Then she left. Zuko touched the shoulder where her hand had been. It felt like too much and not enough. He was still turning over the idea of being loved in his mind, hoping it would sink it at one point, but right now he just felt drained. Not to mention awfully...cold? What was the word? He felt like he needed to be compressed somehow, kept in a small safe place so that his body wouldn’t evaporate and pull apart. He wanted another hug. So he got up and drifted over to the common area. Sokka was there, and no one else was. 

“Sokka,” he noted. Much to his surprise, the boy in question actually looked up when he spoke- odd, as he felt something like a spirit. 

“Hey Zuko! Wanna see my new carving?” The words filtered in slowly, and he opened his mouth to reply. A noncommittal hum came out, and he frowned. That wouldn’t do at all.

“Umm. Sokka. The other night, when you did the thing. It was…” he stopped to think for a minute. “Can we do it again?” The other boy’s face lit up.

“What, you mean a hug? Yeah! Totally, get over here my dude!” Sokka put down what he was holding and opened up his arms. And so Zuko drifted over and sank into them.

He immediately started to feel again. Sokka’s breathing was pleasant and steady, and his arms enveloped him kindly. And taking breaths didn’t usually feel like a luxury, but with his clean scent of mint and seaweed it was. And he was  _ warm _ , and  _ safe _ , and a gentle hand was tracing kind circles in his hair, so he squeezed tighter and buried his face as far as he could into Sokka’s shoulder like he was searching for something. And maybe it was silly, but the most overwhelming feeling of all was the knowledge that just as he was feeling Sokka, Sokka was feeling him. Maybe he meant something after all.

“You’re warm,” the other boy whispered. The vibrations lodged in his chest. A pleasant thrum.

“Firebender,” he murmured, trailing off before he could finish the sentence. But he didn’t need to. It was understood.  _ I run hot _ . 

“You’re hot,” Sokka replied. Zuko didn’t even register what had been said but was very surprised when all of a sudden the water tribe boy scrambled away. “Wait! Wait no, I meant- You know what I meant, I was gonna finish the sentence that you always say- that you’re- I mean not to say that you aren’t- oh spirits-” He looked well and truly panicked and Zuko had no idea why, but he was a bit miffed that they weren’t hugging anymore. And damn it, he was allowed to be selfish right? 

“What are you talking about? Can you come back?” he asked. Sokka took a deep breath and nodded sheepishly, scooching forward again. And this time when they connected, Zuko paid more attention. His leg wound around behind the other’s back, and one arm was curled around his waist. His nose was in Sokka’s neck, and the other’s legs were bunched up awkwardly to the side. And then a new worry occurred to him.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked. He thought he felt Sokka shiver slightly, so he raised his face away from the skin. Maybe the boy was ticklish.

“Don’t worry about me,” came the reply. Zuko frowned. That wouldn’t do. So he did a bit of an awkward shuffle around, letting Sokka sit comfortably, and then went back to where he was sitting. Legs made a better cushion than the floor did, anyway. A tiny chuckle.

“You’re like a polar bear puppy.”

“Shut up.” None of his usual ire. To compensate, he smushed his nose back into the warrior’s neck. The small shiver came back, confirming his suspicions. Perfect revenge.

“Haha. You’re ticklish,” Zuko teased. There wasn’t a reply, and he was pretty sure any breathing besides his own had stopped.

“Hey, could you get off my lap a minute? My legs are going numb.” Sokka sounded a bit strained, so he complied. “Also, I am not ticklish. Jerkbender.” Zuko felt a lot better by this point, so he grinned.

“Maybe I’ll test that theory later.” An exaggerated betrayed gasp.

“So you’re one of those sadistic bastards that waits a couple days and springs a surprise attack!”

“Sadistic? No, just effective,” he hummed, leaning into Sokka’s chest. He was getting sleepy, the steady rhythm of a strong heartbeat leading him away. Rather fast, too. Another laugh, and a hand landed in his hair again. If his eyes hadn’t been closed already, they would have fluttered shut at that point because  _ holy shit _ . The hand started to pull away and he chased after it for all of half a second before it settled back and started tracing intricate shapes on his scalp. His bones went lax and the built up and painful air in his lungs released with a drawn-out sigh and it all felt so familiar.

Zuko drifted off to sleep with memories of his mother and a smile on his face. 

***

Sokka was not nearly as relaxed. What was he gonna do? It was a relatively easy situation to deal with, minus a few…  _ hiccups _ , but he had no idea how to handle someone falling asleep on his chest. Well, don’t get it twisted, this was a hundred percent the best day of his life, but he didn’t want to mess it up.  _ Do I just let him sleep or do I wake him up? Should I carry him to his room? Holy shit he’s cute. _ He sat there in silent panic for a bit until the door to the common area opened and a draft of chilly air blew in, along with his whirlwind of a sister. 

“Sokka- huh?” She blinked once, and then once more before her jaw dropped. Zuko shivered slightly in his sleep. Katara’s expression went through several metamorphoses (confusion, fondness, etc.) before ending on barely contained laughter. Her hand flew up to her mouth. Well, if anyone would know what to do it would be her, so Sokka frantically waved her over, attempting to communicate his predicament without words. 

“Oh spirits,” she whispered. It was too loud for his liking, and he glanced nervously at the sleeping boy. Zuko hadn’t stirred. “Sokka, what have you gotten yourself into?” Her voice was tinged with hilarity.

“He fell asleep, what do I do?” Katara thought about it for a second and shrugged.

“I don’t know, loverboy. I was about to ask you if you wanted to come with the rest of us but I suppose I have my answer,” she said, arching an eyebrow.

“Loverboy?!” That was far too loud, and Sokka panicked for a brief second. But once again, Zuko did not wake. He took a deep breath and aimed a poisonous glare at his sister. “Some help you are,” he huffed. The smirk on Katara’s face only grew wider and she aimed one last parting comment at the pair. 

“If you don’t invite me to the wedding I’m gonna freeze your ass off.” The door shut before he could think up a reply, and he was left to gape in half-mock outrage. He made a mental note to get revenge later.

“Sisters,” he muttered, absentmindedly bringing his hand down to start stroking Zuko’s forehead, who murmured something in his sleep, eyebrows furrowing briefly. Oddly enough, for the first time it then occurred to Sokka that since Zuko was asleep… he could look. Just simply stare and memorize, without fear of being caught. So he did. 

He looked at Zuko’s face and how peaceful it was, noting the tiny divots in the forehead and the singular freckle kissed onto his cheekbone. He lingered a bit at the scar, thinking about how the layers of pink and red melted into each other. Sokka resisted the urge to smooth his thumb over where Zuko’s cheek was squished as it pressed into his chest, and spent perhaps far too long studying the curve of lips. His chin was pointed, with a soft spot at the bottom, and his jaw tapered off lazily at the junction of his ears and neck. Following the lines lower, he saw that Zuko’s neck was slender and lacking much definition, while the collarbone jutted out due to the strange angle. He was wrapped up in Sokka’s fur (how that made his chest swell with fondness) and his feet were sticking out, the knobby ankles pressed into the ground. One would think that once he had given Zuko a full sweep of his gaze that there would be nothing more to look at, but Sokka started again and again, noting every tiny little detail and wrinkle and shadow, and each time he noticed something new another burst of happiness made everything that much sweeter. How long had it been? Minutes, or perhaps hours? The firebender wrapped up in his arms started to stir, mumbling softly about something inconsequential. The ache came back in his chest, and the more rational part of his brain spoke up.  _ He’s waking up, and you’re desperately in love. Even if there’s no chance of him returning your feelings, he deserves to know.  _

“Hmmm… morning, Ching bear,” Zuko murmured, eyes still closed. Sokka laughed nervously.

“I’m a bear now?” Ignoring the thumping of his heart. This was it. It had to be.

“Huh- Sokka?” Zuko’s eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright. The abrupt loss of warmth was unpleasant. “Oh Agni- I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you, spirits.” Deep breaths. The dangerous lifeblood that was to blame for this entire situation rushed through his body like his heartbeats were limited. Deep breaths.

“It’s...fine. I didn’t mind. Hey, Koko?” he said. Zuko looked at him, entirely unaware. 

“Yeah?” 

Before he could do something monumentally stupid like say something aside from what he needed to, he steeled himself and pretended like he was speaking to a wall instead of the devastatingly beautiful boy curled up in his furs. The point of no return... _ shit. Just go.  _

“I think you should know. That, uh. That I like… um, you.” There was silence, and he kept his eyes squeezed shut. Maybe Zuko would take it as a friendship thing and he’d be off the hook. Maybe Zuko would laugh it off awkwardly, or run away. But Zuko wasn’t stupid, and he wasn’t cruel. There wasn’t really any way what he said could have been misconstrued. And that, perhaps more than anything, is what made the pounding in his ears drown out the painful, painful silence in the seconds before the prince replied. 

“Do you mean…” 

“Yeah.” Another silence, possibly heavier than the last. He resisted the urge to start blabbering, take it back, pretend it actually was just a friend thing. That wasn’t productive. He needed to be honest. But Tui and La, this was hellish. 

“Oh,” Zuko said. He sounded surprised, and Sokka cracked one eye open. The boy was wide-eyed. “I see. This is a dream then.” Sokka let out a bitter laugh.

“Pinch yourself or something. It’s no nightmare.” The firebender’s eyebrows furrowed, and a smile started to dawn on his pale face. For the first time, Sokka allowed himself to weigh the probability of this feeling being mutual.  _ He certainly doesn’t look disgusted? _

“Woah, this is one way to wake up…” The prince trailed off and then wrapped his arms around Sokka’s shoulders, who was now blanking. Confusion and hope battled inside of his brain. Did- was the feeling returned, or was this a very weird way of letting him down gently?

“So…” he prompted. Zuko smiled wider, and instead of answering, simply leaned his head forward, resting it on his own. 

“Did you know,” Zuko said, almost casually, “that your eyes remind me of moonlight?” His own fiery ones were piercing, and Sokka could only stare.

“Huh?” he said eloquently. A single thought snaked through in the sea of confusion between his ears.  _ That’s not a very platonic sentiment.  _ His eyes flickered down to the other’s lips, and on the way back up he saw the prince staring at his own. Now the blood rushing frantically through his limbs felt less like a curse and more like a blessing. But… he had to make sure. Just in case. “How do you feel?” It was a vulnerable question. Zuko faltered, looking nervous.

“I like you too,” he whispered. And that was when the adrenaline gave way to a rush of exhilaration. Sokka leaped up, spinning around with an exuberant yell, too far gone to care how dumb he looked. Zuko laughed giddily, the sound so musical it was overwhelming.  _ Yes. This is good.  _ He took a deep breath and sat down on the ground again, suppressing the urge to do a victory dance. Actually…

“Hey,” he breathed. “Dance with me?” He stood up, offering a hand. 

“We don’t have music.” 

“You’re the music.” Zuko flushed and stood up.

“And you’re cheesy,” the firebender said. It wasn’t really a complaint. There was some initial confusion over where to place the hands, so they settled with simply letting their hands rest in each other’s.  _ We’re holding hands _ . There was more difficulty when Zuko started stepping back and forth in a style that Sokka had never seen before while he was trying to start a dance he had done before in the Water Tribe. So they leaned their foreheads together and swayed back and forth. It wasn’t really a dance, but Sokka was too drunk on happiness to pay attention to anything other than the warmth that radiated from the space between them. Their movements slowed, and slowed, and stopped. As if in tandem, they moved their arms to rest on their shoulders and took a twin breath. And gazes flickered to lips once more.

“Can I kiss you?” The question hung in the air, and Zuko answered him with a wide-eyed gaze and a slow nod. His breath hitched and he leaned in.

“Ow, what the fuck?” 

“Sorry! How was I supposed to know the nose would get in the way?”

“Try again,” Zuko demanded, rubbing at his nose indignantly. 

This time he was more careful, and their lips  _ actually  _ connected. It wasn’t particularly romantic, both of them still figuring out how to move, but he couldn’t help but smile.

“Stop smiling, I’m trying to kiss you,” Zuko muttered, trying and failing to conceal the amusement in his voice. Sokka sighed, and tried a new angle, tilting his head a bit to the side.  _ Ah, so that’s how one goes about it.  _ This time was different, and he wove his fingers into Zuko’s hair, whose content breath played across his mouth. Wow. Reluctantly, he broke away, still reeling with the knowledge that they-

“Hey, are we dating?”

“Are you stupid,” Zuko said flatly. “Remind me why I like you again?” 

“Mm. Didn’t you say something about my eyes looking like moonlight?”

“Shut the fuck up and kiss me again.” 

And Sokka happily complied. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gentlemen, and assembled sexy bitches. The time has finally come. This moment has been 22 chapters in the making, and I thank you all for your patience as I fumbled with this shit. My loveable trash raccoons, they did the kith kith and we can finally stop screaming at them through our screens. Uh, I have like, nothing planned, so should I continue the story? If so gimme ideas bc damn a bitch is fresh out   
> i think I'm very funny hhuhuhdusgu they bonked noses  
> as promised, the touch starved gays are back in full force... mmm what else needs addressing. OH yeah. Since I know half of y'all are planning on just keysmashing up in this chilli's tonight, i am going to beg the more lucid among you to write actual comments so I have smth to reply too sfghsghfhsgf okay ily guys, i hope you enjoyed this fluff, and drink water if you haven't already.

**Author's Note:**

> So uh I'm just gonna write and see where this goes. first fic so be nice, feedback greatly appreciated!! Eventual zukka if i get around to it which i will because i love these dorks. probably will have like 5 chapters but idk, bear with me. I'll just free style and pray to as many deities as are willing to listen.


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